Dawn Of The Aakacarns

by John Buttrick

  “I don’t want to play with girls,” the boy stated resolutely and then his eyebrows arched up questioningly. “Why do you look so unhappy if you aren’t afraid of getting in trouble?”

  “I wanted to see Vashti first. In time you will understand the reason.”

  Rue glanced at the wrapped boot. “You want her to fix your foot.”

  “That too,” Jubal answered and continued rowing.

  -----

  The cedar-paneled room was deep within the home of Noah and Vivian and illuminated by standing lamps, their flames giving off a gentle flickering light. Herara sat listening to her youngest son explain his presence while her oldest daughter, Medica, tended to his injured foot. He had walked in using an oar for support.

  Being a Nephilim did not guarantee a longer life if the one in question kept shrugging off injuries and had a habit of plunging into danger. From Herara’s perspective he was barley older than the boy he had set out to rescue, yet old enough to marry and handle the responsibilities of adulthood. His success had to have been the result of a miracle, although his words and tone made it all sound so unremarkable. She shook her head, fearful for the rash young man she had given birth to, and even so could only smile at his uncanny knack for cheating death.

  His ragged clothes were clean, as were those of Rue. The little one was playing with children of similar age under the direct supervision of an adult, primarily to keep the child from wandering off into danger, a habit that needed to be nipped in the bud, if she had her way, which she usually did. Jubal looked to be the portrait of health, other than his foot, and there seemed to be an aura of strength about him Herara had not noticed before.

  Shem sat on the couch beside her, nodding his head encouragingly, as did Japheth, Lilith, and Sheba who were on the other couch along with her husband. Ham’s eyebrows were arched skeptically while Noah and Vivian, who sat next to each other in a pair of padded chairs, remained perfectly still. Their ancient eyes were locked onto their grandson, who did not seem to mind the scrutiny. Jubal sat in a plain wooden chair in the middle of the floor with Medica on a small stool in front of him. She was in the process of applying a poultice.

  Standing along the walls of the greeting room were most of the oldest of the first generation born after the flood and all were wearing white robes and sandals. Herara’s sons; Elam, Lud, and Aram, all with auburn hair and neatly trimmed beards, had stayed at the settlement and were in attendance while Asshur and Arphaxad went with the caravan. Lilith’s oldest of sons; Gomer, Magog, Javan, and Tiras were near the opposite wall, Tubal was in his workshop making things out of various metals. Meshech had gone with the caravan led by Loki.

  Mizraim, Put, and Canaan, all had flaming red hair, Cush’s hair was black. They were the oldest sons of Sheba and stood directly behind their parents, along with their sister Serafa, whose hair was also black, but long and wavy rather than wooly like that of her older brother. Apparently they had complete confidence in Nimrod’s ability to handle the responsibility of the caravan without an elder’s guidance.

  Jubal threw his hands wide while saying, “and so I made camp where the river bends to the south about thirty-seven spans downstream. After doing some exploring and finishing the canoe, we, Rue and I, were ready to leave,” he then stopped talking as if there was nothing more to explain, silly boy.

  Noah stroked his long white beard and everyone knew that was a signal indicating he was about to speak. “Let me see if I have heard correctly, after marking the way to high ground and seeing the arrival of all three caravans, you sought and found the one missing child. You then climbed the oak where Rue went to escape the rising water, a branch suited to your needs happened to float by, so you grabbed the boy and leaped at just the right moment to land safely on the limb. You broke off a smaller limb, used that as a pole, and eventually found your way through reptile-infested water to high ground east of here. You made a canoe and an oar, had no tools other than the small obsidian blade belted at your side, yet completed both projects in just a few days, and then rowed here.”

  Jubal nodded his head. “That just about sums it up, ancient one.”

  Medica completed her ministration, lowered his foot to the floor, and handed him a packet of herbs. Her long dark hair was up in a bun to keep it from being in the way whenever she was rendering aid, which was most of the time. Her pale robe for meetings was always kept clean. The robes she would normally wear were clean but stained by blood and various healing unguents used over the many years of treating wounds and illnesses.

  Cush shook his head. “Your account has no meat on the bones, young Jubal. Come now, don’t be modest. Tell us how you managed to survive what should have resulted in the deaths of you and the child.”

  Herara blinked. It seemed her eyes were playing a trick on her. She could swear her son was glowing and then the chair lifted off the floor - with him in it. Medica fell off the stool, landing on her bottom, and tried frowning at her younger brother, but broke into a longsuffering smile at the sight of him floating above her head. Even Noah’s eyes went wide.

  “What a beautiful shade of blue,” Lilith shared her observation.

  “Yes, it lights up the whole room and is quite a lovely shade,” Sheba agreed. “Herara, your son does our fathers’ proud.”

  “You learned that trick from my grandson,” Ham declared as if defending the honor of Nimrod. “I see a glow and agree with my wife on the color, but it is my grandson who was the first to perform such a fete.”

  Only someone with a huge pool of life-force energy would be able to see the glow, mostly the Nephilim, people who had been born before the flood, individuals born in the second and third generation, and perhaps a few fourth and fifth-gens after the flood. The fact reminded Herara of the decreasing lifespans.

  Jubal flashed that delighted smile Herara knew so well and had seen many times while he was growing up, especially after he had done something new or crafty. She knew he had expected the reaction to his bland tale and had waited for just the right moment to reveal his latest talent, clever boy. He had fooled even her, a fete few could pull off.

  “This is no trick,” he replied as his chair slowly returned to the floor, settling down well clear of his sister who sprang to her feet the moment he had begun to descend. “Wielding the Melody Nimrod created takes skill, which comes from a great deal of practice. I also found necessity to be an inspiring teacher,” he added and then focused on Vivian. “You warned about the Nephilim letting the powers we have fill us with arrogance.”

  “I told you not to become overly caught up in the powers bestowed upon you and begin to think of yourselves more highly than you ought,” the great lady responded. “But you comprehended the gist of my words.”

  “Roddy is the only one who can compose an Aaka that allows the Nephilim to tap into the pool of energy within us. His first tune, the Melody that allows him to levitate, was taught to me by him. He and I wondered if this is what you had in mind about powers being bestowed on the Nephilim,” Jubal said while Herara watched his right eyebrow arch up expectantly. He was eager to hear the answer.

  Cush stepped away from his brothers to stand beside his parents. “I am glad to see you credit my son with this new ability,” he spoke directly to Jubal and then fixed his gaze on Vivian. “Is it true, great lady, has my son brought us to an age of power never seen before?”

  Vivian gave a single nod. “The Nephilim will once again be known as the mighty men of old, men of renown, and they, male and female, will rule the world. The ones who perished in the flood never knew how to harness the power. Thanks to Nimrod this generation can do so and will accomplish great things. The rest of humanity will be blessed or cursed, depending on the use to which the Nephilim put the power at their command. The exact timing of the change had been the only question in my mind.”

  “I am pleased with what you have accomplished, my son, and agree with Sheba and Lilith that you glow a beautiful shade of blue,” Shem said, “yet adm
it to being a little worried about the idea of someone so impulsive wielding such power. Your demonstration leads me to conclude you broke branches and shaped a canoe using just one Melody of power. What impetuous and possibly life-threatening works might you accomplish with other such Aakas in your musical quiver?”

  Jubal blushed at the remark, coming from his father, but Herara was not so concerned about how her son would wield the power. He had a good heart, of that she had no doubt, and after witnessing his newest skill, feared a little less for his safety than she had moments earlier. “His impulses led him through lightning, wind, rain, flood, menacing wildlife, and to create what was needed in order to survive and return here. He did it all to save the life of a child. I am not overly concerned about his impulses. It is his future accomplishments I am interested in witnessing.”

  Cush stepped forward and placed his hand on Jubal’s shoulder. “Your skillful use of the mighty weapon my son provided is well noted. I am pleased you have served him so well, but now it is time for you to be on your way. Happy as we all are to see you, this assembly was not called to hear your tale. There are matters to be discussed among us elders.”

  Jubal stood up, leaning to the left, shifting most of his weight onto his good foot. “Thanks for the poultice,” he told his sister and then grabbed the oar and headed for the door.

  Herara sensed her son had more news than he had divulged and was tempted to overrule the dismissal. She could, but doing so would bruise egos, primarily those of Cush, Canaan, and by extension Ham. She could get the information later in a more private setting and without stirring up harsh feelings.

  Her youngest son was about to exit the room when a voice called out, “Remain and stand to the right of the door. Nimrod is the shaft of our sharpest spear but you, Jubal, are the point. Stay, but speak only when your opinion is sought after.”

  The voice of Noah held an authority that demanded attention and could not be ignored. Not even Cush, for the time being, dared to question the oldest man in the world.

  By right of age, one hundred eighty years, as of two days earlier, Medica took her place beside Aram.

  Were there a few strands of gray hair in among her auburn locks?

  “Swimmers have confirmed what I suspected,” Cush was clearly prepared to divulge his findings. “The dwellings made of stone and brick are intact and can eventually be cleaned up. All of the other dwellings have been washed away.”

  Which meant most of the members of his tribe still had a home; nearly everyone else would have to rebuild their dwellings.

  “We have enough food to feed the people here at the settlement for a month,” Medica reported her findings. “Half of the groves were washed away, along with the vineyards, but we harvested everything edible from the crop fields before the flooding began. The granaries in the low lying areas are under water and the wheat, oats, and barley that were left behind in the rush are ruined. In time the rice paddies along the river will produce some of our nutritional requirements. A goodly amount of our produce must be allocated for the flocks and herds; which means our food stores are going to be strained in a few days when the caravans return with the animals. We will be relying heavily on the fishers and the hunters to provide enough food to make up the loss; otherwise we eat the livestock or face starvation.”

  “Fortunately we have an experienced hunter among us,” Shem pointed proudly to his youngest son. “Jubal, do you believe the Weapocarns can provide enough meat to keep us from having to eat the flocks and herds?”

  Herara cringed at the thought of eating meat of any kind. The survivors of the flood were unaccustomed to eating flesh, although the persons born afterwards did seem to enjoy the taste. Consumption of animals was permitted, as long as no one ingested the blood, but that did not mean she had to like the fact.

  She watched as her son scratched his head, a habit he developed long ago that meant he was taking a moment to think over the answer. A scratch at the temple would have meant he already had an answer but was deliberately taking his time in responding. “I cannot guarantee such without first scouting the region. Who knows how many animals have drowned or been swept away in the flooding? The ground is much higher where the river turns south as I told you. Many animals fled there, I discovered after doing a little exploring. We hunters will find beasts to eat but may have to range farther from the settlement than we have in the past. It may be necessary to stay on the trail overnight. It is for certain venturing half a day so we can return before sunset will not result in enough meat to feed so many people. I am willing to scout in the other directions and report..,”

  “Someone else will do the scouting,” Medica interrupted him.

  Herara pointed her finger directly at her rash son. “You will take the time to allow that foot to heal properly and eat the herbs your sister has given you to fight off the infection. Perhaps I will ask Zeus to have Pan to do it; he has little else to do at the moment, other than show off the twins, and is quite good in the wild.”

  “Yes, mother,” Jubal wisely replied, saving himself from a dressing down he would not have forgotten.

  Seeing his exposed abdomen made Herara think about how he was dressed, and not in any favorable way. She deliberately did not mention his ragged appearance, given how he had spent his last three days, so settled for eying all of his exposed skin while quietly shaking her head. Since he was far larger than anyone else in the room, there was a lot of flesh exposed. His copper complexion reddened slightly, meaning he understood well enough what she wanted to communicate.

  “My grandson is a good choice,” Aram spoke up. “Pan will locate the animals.”

  Magog stepped away from the wall. “Now that who will scout has been settled, I feel it is time to express my deep concern about handing over too much authority to the Nephilim. It seems unwise to give so much power to an individual solely on the basis of physical characteristics,” he paused, tossed a glance at Jubal, and then continued. “While some of them have impressive skills, clearly not all of them are suited to be leaders or judges of the populous. The decision made by Noah and Vivian is of course a good one, but perhaps premature.”

  Herara knew the time would soon come when the arrogant son of Ham would openly question the judgment of the two ancients, but had not expected the son of Japheth to be quite as bold, nor to be the first to act.

  “In what way is that?” Noah made the inquiry while leaning forward.

  “It takes the authority away from us who are older and wiser, and gives it to a specific group of people, none of which have experience judging disputes or exercising leadership skills beyond organizing hunting expeditions,” Cush answered, earning an affirmative nod from Magog.

  Clearly they saw eye to eye on the issue and might have had private discussions on the matter. Some of their brothers along the wall were nodding in agreement, so the objection was widespread.

  Herara knew early on the transition of authority would bruise the egos of those who wanted to cling to what control they had over the growing population. She decided to address the issue in terms they could understand. “Zeus, Ra, and Oden have done much more than organize hunting expeditions; they have demonstrated their skills at guiding the people through a difficult time. Not one of us could have done a more thorough job of preparing for the current disaster. Going by Jubal’s report, Artemis, Nimrod, and Loki have successfully guided the caravans to safety. I believe we should give all of them the opportunity to solve the food situation and we can offer suggestions if they overlook something that would cause starvation if neglected. Obviously not every Nephilim will be a judge or administrator, but all of them will eventually wield the kind of power Jubal and Nimrod have recently demonstrated”

  She also intended to learn from her son and knew Sheba and Lilith would as well. The shift in power should have been obvious to the pair of tribal leaders, especially in light of the Aaka composed by Nimrod. Judging by the frowns on their faces, they were taking into account her words, par
ticularly those in the last sentence, which was why she had added them.

  “Herara is correct,” Vivian backed her up. “The time to teach them how to rule and use their powers wisely is now while we are still respected.”

  “I will always respect you elders,” Jubal declared, even though his opinion had not been sought after. He glanced at Noah and turned red in the face.

  The old one raised his hand palm up. “Your obviously heart-felt declaration of respect is appreciated. However, in time, not all Nephilim will share your conviction. This is why Vivian and I have chosen the new course. Magog, Cush, and the rest of you who feel the same as they, I am confident you will come to realize the rightness of our decision, but until then and beyond, all will proceed according to what my wife told you days ago in this room and the Nephilim in the Place of Meeting.”

  Neither man had the humility to blush, if they ever had the ability, but they both bowed their heads in concession, as did their brothers along the wall.

  The wooden door flew open and Oden stepped into the room, coming to a stop dead center with eyes fixed on the eight elders. Herara was a little surprised when he eventually focused on her and Shem rather than Japheth and Lilith, his parents. “A pidgin has brought us tragic news from the caravans.”

  His wrinkled brow and mournful eyes filled Herara with dread. Whatever occurred had to be truly horrible to illicit such a strong reaction from the normally unflappable Nephilim.

  Chapter Seven: Let The Lesson Begin

  Jubal imagined all sorts of horrible scenarios while staring at the back of Oden’s head. The area scouted had been secured well before the hunt for Rue began, so whatever occurred could not have been the result of any wild animals.

  “Peleg’s youngest son went missing, your youngest son, the husband of my sister, went to find him shortly before the storm hit, and neither of them has been seen since. The water is teaming with serpents and crocodiles, making it impossible to even go search for them, therefore it is believed Jubal and little Rue died in the flooding or have been killed by any one of the many predators surrounding the area,” Oden delivered the news.