The Table of Kalila Nag - Part 4

If you missed my opening prologue and parts 2 & 3, to better follow along click the links below:

The Table of Kalila Nag - Prologue

The Table of Kalila Nag - Part 2

The Table of Kalila Nag - Part 3

____________________

I stared in wonder at my image till the wall started to brighten, my reflection surrendering to a golden and gentle light.

Blinking with surprise, I whispered What magic is this?

But what followed almost wiped the recollection of what I had earlier witnessed from my memory.

When white light began to emanate from the wall, even the shadows could find no place to hide. The pain of its brightness brought tears to my eyes, but I dared not turn away or cover them with my hands.

Only Utu shines thusly, I murmured.

But it was Nin-anna who answered me, speaking gently - You see me now as a man does, brave didila. Open thy throat, wipe the scales from thine eyes and I will gift your sight to see who I truly am.

Briefly wiping my eyes, I suddenly saw her in all her sacred glory, a star in the night sky no more. Her eyes tightly closed and with hands lifted in fervent prayer, her face shone more brightly than Utu at midday.

I pause my tale, my dear ones, to try and express what cannot be expressed. My throat filled with greater grief at the sight of Nin-anna making supplication than I have ever known or ever again will know.

Our people have long served the Anunnaki. We beg their blessing when our children are born. We plead for heavenly mercy when the first crops fail or when the livestock give birth to stillborn calves.

They are our comfort in famine and drought, our rescuers in the face of mighty enemies and our redeemers when we have broken the solemn oaths from our throats. But what we never wish to see is our divine protectors crying out for protection.

Cut to the quick, I wept greatly and lifted my arms to 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.

Hear thy daughter the Queen of Heaven's prayer, I pleaded through the veil of my tears. My throat ached as I sobbed and when the words no longer filled it, I made great my lamentation with groanings and cries of such deep feeling that my body shook with grievous emotion.

But when my tears had spent themselves and I was too weak to even moan, I slowly opened my eyes to the returning darkness. The Queen of Heaven had disappeared into the night.

In her place, a serpent appeared. Staring grimly at my eyes now red from weeping, it was dressed in strange and elaborate ceremonial garments. A feathery crown grew from its wrinkled brow.

I humbly welcome theeee, little Nephilim, to the fortresss of the Queen of Dragonsss, he hissed, she who slayed the mighty racesss of old and enslaved the children of mensss.

Although weary from the grievous prayer still lodged within my throat, oddly, I felt no fear. I knew that Nin-anna was with me and that somewhere faraway aba remembered me in his mighty praying.

The creature whose eyes gleamed coldly bared his fangs, his tongue rapidly flicking from his leathery jaws.

Kalila Nag commanded me to speak thisss word of warning, son of men and gods. Her dragonsss shalt fill the valleysss with the dead of all who oppose them, whether free or slave, small or greatsss.

And after the great slaughter, a mighty voice shalt cry out, ‘Come, all the birdsss of the air, come wolvesss and carrion eatersss, come lionsss and hyenasss to the great supper at the table of Kalila Nag. For we have laid low those men who in former days hunted and killed both thee and thy youngsss.

All thisss, she hasss sworn to do to thee and thine if thou do not bow in worship and confesss to her undying lovesss.

Ishkur, who struck me with a great bolt from the sky when aba battled the great dragon, began to stir within me. And I knew Him just as I had first known Im-mar-tu and had witnessed the Queen of Heaven in her true form.

So, I answered the serpent not with words but with great bolts of thunderous lightning from my arms that shook the fortress of the Queen of Dragons to its foundations.

Then the Anunnaki filled my throat with their words and I spoke as a lord of men speaks. Hear me, serpent of thy cruel mistress, nag, and listen to my voice. I am didila ur-sag, rider of Im-mar-tu, wielder of the bolts of Ishkur and he who has seen Nin-anna and lived.

And I, though the smallest of us all, obey not nor listen to the words of the dragon queen. In my blood the mighty races of old sleep and at my side the Anunnaki wage war!