Noah: Man of Resolve

by Tim Chaffey

The color drained from Tubal-Cain’s face, and he folded his arms across his broad chest, refusing to take the dagger.

  Shock rippled through the crowd, slowly silencing their cheers.

  Come on, Tu. It’s just one baby. Naamah tapped her foot on the stone flooring.

  Anger churned in their father’s eyes as he stood and approached Tubal-Cain. “You will do as I command.”

  Tubal-Cain held his head high. “People of Iri Geshem,” his voice rang out as clearly, if not clearer and louder, than the king’s, “I am not a prince of Havil. I am but a servant of the Most High, and He never asks for the blood of a child. Only the Great Deceiver demands the sacrifice of a baby.”

  The people jeered and shouted their disapproval.

  Lamech, in his anger, whirled and stood before his throne once more. When the crowd quieted, he spoke loudly. “If your squeamish, sensitive nature cannot handle the demands of sacrifice, then at least bow before Nachash.”

  Unfazed, Tubal-Cain shook his head. “Never.” He turned to the crowd. “Friends, I beg you, turn from your ways. Remove the shackles of fear and bondage brought by Nachash and embrace the one true God, the Creator.”

  Naamah watched the unfolding power play between her father and brother as both tried to sway the masses to their way of thinking. Just bow, you fool.

  “My son, you talk of fear.” Lamech rubbed his hands together. “You say your worship of the Creator frees you from fear?”

  “Yes.”

  The king held out his arms. “Good citizens, he lies. Bring out his wife!”

  Tubal-Cain gasped as the guards brought Adira to the center of the stadium and one of them shoved her. With disheveled clothes and hair, she staggered and fell to her knees.

  “She will die if you do not bow.” The king flashed a grin at Naamah before fixing his gaze on his son. “Surely you fear that!”

  “Stay true to the Creator, Love!”

  The plaintive cry of the bound woman annoyed Naamah, and she hissed. “Just bow! Don’t you see that you could lose everything?”

  He pierced her with his eyes. “Rejecting my Creator would be the worst loss of all.”

  The crowd yelled out a variety of taunts. “This is unity?” “You can’t even control your own offspring!” “We want blood!”

  “Tu, she will die if you don’t bow.” Naamah’s voice squeaked in desperation. Ugh, why do I feel so powerless?

  “You have one more chance to show your loyalty.” Lamech narrowed his eyes on his son.

  Tubal-Cain stood silently.

  “Very well.” He held up one finger toward a small entryway into the arena. “Bring it out.”

  A pithoct entered the area, snarling and tugging against its restraints, which were held by a pair of strong warriors. The beast bared its two long upper teeth, locked its eyes on its prey, and roared.

  Why wouldn’t Adira tell him to bow? Now she’s made Da look bad in front of all these people. I hope it’s a slow and agonizing death for her. Naamah watched the proceedings in front of her intently, hoping to catch the full measure of pain and justice.

  “Listen to me! As your king, I know what you want and what you need. Nachash will have his unity and his blood. Not even my son will get in the way of that.”

  Alarmed at the undertone of pure hatred in his voice, Naamah turned just as her father lifted the sacrificial dagger he still grasped. His hands quivered only slightly before driving it into the lower right side of her brother.

  “No!” The scream escaped Naamah’s lips before she could stop it. Tu! How did it escalate to this?

  Adira shrieked and ran toward them.

  Tubal-Cain slumped against the railing, keeping his eyes on his wife.

  “A kingdom cannot allow such treason to exist.” Lamech stepped forward, bent down, and lifted Tubal-Cain’s legs up and over the railing. “Die with your wife, Traitor!”

  Naamah fought to control her emotions as she watched her brother fall into the arena and hit the ground with a thud just as the guard released the furry beast. It took every bit of her self-control to resist charging her father to push him over the rail as well. She glared at the back of the king’s head with all the hatred she could muster. Someday, you’ll die for this.

  The beast slowed as it seemed to contemplate which of the two victims it preferred first. Keeping its distance, it circled around the couple, stalking them, as Adira tried to shield her wounded husband. Finally, it charged.

  Tubal-Cain ripped the dagger from his side, scrambled to his knees, and pulled his wife down behind him. As the beast leapt, Tubal-Cain yelled and jabbed the blade upward as the pithoct struck him. The animal moaned as it collapsed on its target. Screeching, it hopped awkwardly to the side before stumbling, a dark red spot growing on its white-furred chest. Lying on its side, the creature kicked its legs for a few moments and then stopped moving.

  Tubal-Cain remained motionless as well, except for the barely noticeable rise and fall of his chest and a slight turn of his marred face to look at his wife. She knelt at his side and pulled his wrap away from the dagger’s previous location. Blood oozed from the gaping wound, causing her to slump over him and wail. He struggled to lift his left arm and drape it over her.

  Unable to watch his demise, Naamah turned away. Seething rage increased with each breath.

  Tubal-Cain’s wife screamed in agony, and it echoed through the arena, causing some to laugh while others looked on in shock.

  Having heard similar cries many times before, Naamah knew her brother’s life had just ended. Tu! How could you be so stubborn and ignorant? How foolish to give your life for nothing.

  “Take her,” Lamech said to the giant guard, who had just entered the arena, while pointing at Adira. “Put her with the next batch of prisoners.”

  Naamah glared at her father. His smile showed his delight in the turn of events. You wanted this to happen all along. She paused in her thoughts and looked up at the giant serpent next to her. O Nachash, grant me strength and wisdom to exact revenge on him.

  Chapter 33

  Noah lurched forward and stumbled to keep up as the enormous guard yanked the rope tied about his wrists. The immense man easily covered four stairs at a time, practically dragging Noah up the steps. Above the pounding in his ears from his heartbeat and his panting for air, Noah still easily discerned the roar of the crowd in the arena.

  They reached level ground and stopped in what had been one of the four large foyers in the theater’s early days. Remodeled over the years, the cavernous room now seemed to serve as a staging area for whatever bawdy entertainment happened to be on the schedule. Huge timbers stretched upward to support the sloped ceiling, which also served to hold hundreds of spectators above it. Racks of weapons and armor lined the wall ahead. To their right, countless shelves of colorful garments and headwear rested behind three reflective metallic panels.

  As they approached the large iron gate that led to the arena floor, the room grew lighter, allowing Noah to finally take a long look at his giant escort. Rumors of giants in Havil and other places abounded, but he had assumed the tales were merely exaggerations of tall individuals. The reality proved to be more impressive than the stories. The man easily surpassed six cubits. Musclebound like Tubal-Cain, only much larger, the man pulled Noah as if he exerted no effort at all. His left fist, roughly the size of Noah’s head, clenched the rope, while his right hand swung freely. Iron armor covered his chest and midsection. A long, thick spear hung across his back and strapped to his belt, and a massive sheathed sword rattled and swayed along with its owner’s loping gait.

  To avoid the discomfort, Noah fought to keep up. “Will they even give me a weapon to fight you?”

  The giant stopped before the gate and angled his shaved head down toward Noah before snarling. “I wish they would. You’d make a good meal.”

  Noah turned away in disgust. Was the man simply trying to scare him or did he really eat people?

  A deep, rumbling laugh escaped from
the titan’s mouth. “I’m told they have something special planned for you.”

  Noah grinned. “So does the Creator.”

  The giant’s free hand moved with blinding speed to grip Noah around the neck. With just one arm, the oversized man picked Noah off the ground and raised him until they were face-to-face. Huge, hate-filled, bloodshot orbs glared at him, and for an instant, fear surged through Noah’s body.

  Noah felt as if his eyes would pop out of his head — that is, if his head did not separate from his body first. With breathing or screaming an impossibility, he kicked and swung his arms wildly to break free, but striking at a stone wall may have been more effective.

  “Don’t you ever speak of the Creator around me.” He spat in Noah’s face and tossed him to the ground.

  Gasping for air, Noah wiped saliva from his face with his shoulder. He groaned and struggled to stand, hoping to avoid being dragged again.

  As a roar resounded from the crowd beyond the gate, the giant glared at Noah. “Time for you to die.”

  Noah cleared his throat, trying to collect himself. “Not today.” He had imagined those words coming out stronger than the hoarse whisper that escaped his airway.

  The huge man snorted before he bent over and grabbed the gate with his free hand. With metal creaking and groaning in protest, the giant heaved the iron bars above his head in one swift motion until it latched in place.

  A crowd buzzing with excitement roared as Noah’s attendant stepped out of the shadows. He yanked the rope, causing his captive to stagger before falling to the ground. The giant laughed as he dragged Noah across the arena floor.

  The afternoon sunlight assaulted Noah’s eyes while the hardened soil scraped his arms and legs as he flailed about, unsuccessfully trying to scramble to his feet. Finally, the man stopped. Noah peeked through the dust cloud around him only to see the giant looming over him.

  “Get up, morsel.” The deep voice bellowed above the cacophony. The colossus drew his large blade and stuck the point of it in Noah’s face. He scowled and then quickly severed Noah’s bonds. He sheathed his weapon and walked back toward the gate.

  Noah unsteadily stood and glanced around. Several thousand people packed the benches throughout the stands; most jeered him with curses and other vile taunts. He spun around to face the reserved seating, knowing it was where Naamah, Lamech, and others who sought his death would be located, but a blood-soaked wrap on the ground beneath them grabbed his attention. A moment later, he realized a body lay beneath the garment.

  Moving a few steps closer, Noah stopped and his stomach tightened when he recognized the lifeless eyes of Tubal-Cain staring back in his direction. He clenched his fists and fought the simultaneous urges to scream and weep. Laughter from the audience barely registered in his ears as his pulse quickened and his neck burned with anger. Gathering himself, he let his eyes drift up to the platform above. God, please repay the king for this evil.

  Seated on a throne, dressed in a glimmering, gold-flecked robe, and wearing a large, ornately designed golden crown, King Lamech raised a hand and the crowd noise subsided to a murmur. Ashur, Navea, and the other council members sat behind him on the elevated platform in smaller and less decorative chairs. Naamah stood beside the king, but her earlier amusement had vanished. Glaring at her father as he stood to speak, she seemed pale and ill. On a large pedestal at Naamah’s right stood a golden serpent idol nearly twice the height of a man.

  Lamech directed a finger to the arena floor. “Noah, my old friend, it pains me that we meet again under such conditions. You have been charged with a capital crime against your own city. They say that you refuse to honor our chief deity, Nachash. Tell me Noah, are you guilty of such treason?”

  Noah thought of the Creator’s promise to give him sons and to flood the earth. He dusted off his arms and cleared his throat as conviction filled his mind. “I’d rather commit treason against the Great Deceiver than deny the Most High, the Creator of heaven and earth.”

  Angry shouts and obscenities streamed from the audience as Lamech raised an eyebrow. He waited for the crowd to fall silent before he spoke. “Noah, you have just condemned yourself to death, but because I am a merciful king, I am willing to give you another chance.” Lamech turned to the iron gate and with his hand beckoned someone to enter the arena.

  The giant returned, but this time he pulled seven captives in tow. The gate slammed shut behind them, and a pain struck Noah’s heart as he recognized Adira, Elam, Kal, and even little Rayneh among the prisoners. Adira stared blankly at the body of her husband as she walked behind the towering man. Kal fought against her bindings to hold on to Rayneh, who cried out to her mother and father for help. Attempting to rush to her side, Elam tripped when the guard tugged the rope, eliciting uproarious laughter from the crowd. Finally, the procession stopped some 15 cubits to Noah’s right, and the audience awaited the king’s words.

  Lamech ordered the giant to remove the binding ropes from the prisoners and then held a hand out toward Noah. “As I said before, I am a merciful king, but even the most compassionate leader cannot allow sedition to undermine his rule. I will give you one more opportunity to do what is right.” He pointed to the large idol near Naamah. “Kneel before Nachash now and proclaim your allegiance to him. If you refuse, not only will you face a terrifying death, but you will condemn these seven people, including one little child, to the same fate. What will it be, Noah?”

  Noah shook his head slowly at Lamech, astonished by the depths of his wickedness. A fleeting thought encouraged him to obey the king to spare his friends. He could always plead for the Creator’s forgiveness later. But he quickly dismissed the pragmatic idea. The king could not be trusted to keep his word about sparing them, but more importantly, Noah would never deny the Most High. The God he had recently encountered was far more terrifying than anything Lamech threatened, and more deserving of devotion than any other.

  Elam shouted encouragement to Noah, urging him to stand for the Creator. The colossal guard immediately silenced him with a swift backhand that sent Elam tumbling.

  Creator, what I do now, I do for You. Please show these people Your power. Noah let out a breath and stood tall, holding Lamech’s gaze. “You speak of mercy but know nothing of it. It will not be my hand that kills these people today. King Lamech, you and you alone will be guilty of their blood.” Noah turned to the crowd and shouted as loud as possible. “I serve the Most High, the Creator of all things. Before Him alone will I bow, for only He is worthy.”

  “And I, as newly appointed king of this city” — Lamech walked closer to the platform’s edge — “cannot allow Nachash, the Splendor of the World, to be disrespected in such a way. If your God does not let you kneel to another to spare the lives of your friends, then the Creator is a cruel monster.” An evil grin streaked across his face. “And speaking of cruel monsters.” He turned to Naamah and chuckled.

  Dread settled in Noah’s stomach. What vile scheme could trigger such an amused response?

  Naamah stepped forward and leaned against the rail. “Just think, you could’ve been sitting up here by my side, but now . . .” She scoffed and then held her arms out wide, raising her voice for all to hear. “Moments ago, Noah told me that he wasn’t going to die today.” Laughter broke out in the audience, and when it quieted, she continued. “Then he said that even if he did die, the Creator would bring him back to life.”

  An eruption of insults and jeers rained down on Noah. People he recognized and had treated kindly over the years now mocked him for his faith and clamored for his blood.

  Naamah waited several moments before gesturing for the crowd to listen. She smirked at Noah. “You still think you won’t die today?” She laughed and then nodded to her father.

  Lamech signaled to the guards standing above the large wooden double-door gate on the opposite end of the coliseum from where Noah had entered. The loud clacking of the gate’s massive latch popping open drove the spectators into a fevered pitch of
excitement.

  Noah stared at the gate, his mind racing to figure out who or what would soon emerge from the other side. Most High, my life is in Your powerful hands.

  A thunderous roar shook the wooden doors and echoed through the stadium. Having heard such a roar only a few times in his life, Noah cringed. His thoughts returned to the night he and Aterre had fled from the carcass of a dead earthshaker as a grendec approached. Oh no. Terror gripped Noah and his body went rigid. Suddenly, the same peace as when he encountered the Creator washed over him. Noah’s dread instantly vanished. He took a half step forward as if readying for battle.

  As the crowd anticipated the monster’s entrance, the giant laughed behind him.

  Noah glanced at Naamah. “I will not die today.” He kept his words quiet enough so that only she and those in her immediate vicinity heard.

  Naamah raised her eyebrows and waved to the guards above the gate.

  In the stillness of the moment, Noah spoke loudly as he turned to face each part of the crowd. “People of Iri Geshem. Nachash is the Great Deceiver and the old stories are true. Just as he tricked our Greatmother Eve, he has misled the world, and now you, into following him. The Creator is the true God, and He is going to wipe this world out with a flood. Denounce your false god, turn from your wicked practices, and serve the Most High.”

  Laughter and jeers mixed in abundance for a brief moment until an earsplitting crash flung the massive wooden doors wide open. Only the beast’s head emerged from the shadows at first. Perched more than eight cubits in the air, the gaping maw displayed dozens of long bony daggers. The grendec’s greenish-yellow eyes locked onto Noah, and the creature stepped into the arena, revealing gold and jewel-encrusted covers on the two large horns above its eyes. Two absurdly small arms dangled from its torso, while brown and gray scales rippled over unbelievably powerful leg muscles as the horned grendec took three large steps in Noah’s direction. Its lengthy tail swayed wildly behind it, striking the wooden door on the left and splintering one of its panels.