An Immortal Dance
Page 22
37: This too, she discarded.
38: Then, the lord and lady disappeared and were not seen since.
39: The rest of their kind soon followed.
40: In her absence, the soldiers of the lady were overwhelmed.
41: Those captured were stoned for their abuses against our people.
42: We dedicate this to the lord Gilgamesh for delivering Uruk.
43: We pray that he and his kind never return to our lands.
44: May the lady Ishtar never again wear that horrid mask.
45: They were never our gods. Gods would not be so vicious.
46: We seal this place, with its evil treasures.
47: We hope that someone, many moons from now, opens it.
48: Then they shall know of the calamities that once befell Uruk.
49: Then they shall know of the beings that walk this Earth.
50: Then they shall know fear.
Abrahem finally finished his labour. He looked down at his notes and started to analyse them. It had been quite the story. It was very different from the Epic of Gilgamesh, a tale that he had studied for years. He wondered what had changed so much between the two works, though the names in each were similar. One thing seemed reasonably certain, whoever had written it had certainly believed it. Why else would they have gone through all the trouble of building a hidden shrine? Where did they get the inspiration for the story? It had to have come from some sort of myth, likely from the same pagan religion as the Epic of Gilgamesh. Perhaps it was another branch of the religion, or a cult.
Engrossed in his thinking, he had forgotten about his companions. Realizing that he had not heard them speak for a while, he turned around. Horrified, he saw that they were gone. Quickly, he looked around the room. None of the objects that had been there when they arrived seemed to be missing. He had certainly not heard them leave.
“Hussein? Arif?” he called out, walking, trembling, to the threshold of the chamber. He pointed his flashlight towards the corridor, casting a brilliant beam of pale light across it. They were not there.
“Hussein? Where are you?” he shouted. “Arif? I will not pay you if you do not come back!”
Suddenly, he sensed a presence behind him. He felt hot breath brush his ear as a musical voice whispered, “Hello, Abrahem.”
Coming Soon:
The Children of the Sun
Paragon of War
Child of the Stars
Artefacts of Uruk
Ragnarök
March 12th, 2017
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading An Immortal Dance. I leave you with a parting thought. We are not immortals, we do not have the time or sometimes, the power, to fix all of our mistakes. Hate, whether the reason happens to be culture, religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc., only breeds hate. It builds walls far thicker and more enduring than any physical barrier. We do not have the time to spend worrying about how other people choose to live out their years. I would much prefer that you spend yours in the happy hope of a brighter future, regardless of where you are in life. Even in the darkest minds and in the bleakest moments, there is hope. There is always hope. By definition, hope is that thing that keeps us going, no matter our mistakes or what obstacles are put in our path. In Spanish, there is a toast that is often repeated at dinners amongst friends. Salud, dinero y amor. Health, Prosperity and Love. That is what I wish for you.