Chapter 11

Chapter 11

February – 3,390 BC

Earth: Assur

JAMIN

A shooting star darted across the pre-dawn sky, illuminating the empty desert.

"Keep moving!" Jamin ordered.

The men continued jogging as the star shot overhead.

"How many does that make?" Firouz asked.

"Twenty-two," Siamek said.

"Where do you think they're all going?"

Jamin glanced over his shoulder, waiting to see if

this

star would crash, but it disappeared over the western horizon. They'd seen many shooting stars the last several hours, but none came down in the desert, at least not close enough for them to see the sky erupt in fire again.

"I have a bad feeling about this—" Siamek huffed through heavy breath. "Never have we seen so many all at once."

Jamin sped up, forcing the men to match his pace.

A stitch in his side begged for mercy, but he forced his trembling muscles to keep moving

.

All that mattered was the frantic pace of his heart. The sun finished rising and moved towards its apex, mercilessly beating down on them, but he refused to let his men rest.

At last Assur rose out of the desert, a gleaming, golden fortress with houses built with the outer walls all joined together. They were made of mud-brick, mortared smooth to deny the enemy a foothold, with windows and doorways all facing inward. It would take four men, standing one on top of the other, to reach the rooftops. Rooftops patrolled by men wielding atlatls

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and spears.

Not that it would matter to an enemy with wings…

"Faster!" he ordered.

The warriors tightened into a tight-knit group, heartened by the sight of home. He'd made them run through the night with very little rest. The

elite

warriors…

The winged demon had defeated the best warriors this village had!

They approached the outer gate, a ten cubit tall monstrosity built of the hardest cedar, a man's-foot thick, with two massive tree-trunks anchoring the gates into the adjacent houses. No army had ever breached the walls of Assur. Not since Lugalbanda had performed great magic to make their walls impenetrable.

Ninsianna's grandfather…

And now she was under control of the enemy.

"Ho! Jamin!" the sentries called down. "I see Ninsianna gave you the slip?"

Disembodied anger boiled up into his veins.

"She's been kidnapped!" he snapped. "Raise the alarm! Order the warriors to assemble."

The swarthy-skinned sentry lifted a ram's horn to his lips and blew a deep, throaty warning.

Beware. Beware. Beware.

It reverberated through the village, into the pounded earth streets. Villagers toppled out of their houses, anxious to see who had raised the alarm.

"Step aside," Siamek shouted. "We make our way to the chief!"

"Did you see them?" An old woman pointed upward. "Did you the stars falling from the heavens?"

Jamin's chest heaved as they wound through the concentric inner rings to reach the central square. Siamek and the other warriors bent forward, holding their sides from the killer pace he had set, but Jamin held himself erect, gasping to control his breath. As their future chief, it was

his

job to lead them into battle.

His father, Chief Kiyan, stepped out their front doorway, wearing the five-fringed kilt which marked him as their

chief

. Behind him came Immanu, Ninsianna's father, wearing full ceremonial attire, no doubt summoned to interpret the omens.

"What seems to be the problem, young

Muhafiz

?"

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Immanu asked.

A lump rose in his throat as he pointed the way they had come.

"A winged demon has come to take our women!"