So i've been asked by one of the members here to post my original story "Tiamat." Hope you enjoy it, KitKat:
The sun shined down with no mercy that morning; his golden rays seemed to suck all the life out of the dessert and the Tigris River. It was a dead morning; anything that could make a noise was still sleeping. Only the sound of human footsteps could be heard; each step was louder as their leather boots pushed against the sand. Their weary and bloodied armors wouldn’t be of much use in a fight. Suddenly, the steps quickened as an arrow landed right next to Ukani’s foot. Another arrow was shot; the thick hot air was swiftly cut by its flight. This one landed near Bahu as she shouted:
-Ukani, run!
The two brothers started to run as a flurry of arrows rained down upon them.
UKANI: I don’t think this was part of your plan, sister, was it? How many do you think are after us? -yelled Ukani as he tried to catch up to her.
BAHU: Just four by my count; but more will join them soon. Keep running; the camels should be close by- said Bahu between breaths.
Bahu ran fast and graceful like a gazelle; her fair skinned body glistened in the desert sun. Her short black hair remained stoic against the breeze. She didn’t wear enough armor for a warrior; but she could sure fight like one. There was nothing but sun and sand in the horizon, but Bahu knew exactly where she had left the camels before going into that wretched town the night before. She started to think about what happened; that night turned out bloodier than even she expected. The wind blew cold like a festering omen of death as she stood still looking into the town. Bahu was ready, her sword was screaming for a taste of vengeful murder.
UKANI: Sis, this is not the time to dwell on yesterday. We are being chased here!
Ukani’s words brought Bahu back from her thoughts. She knew that their only chance for survival was to get to the camels; and their only chance for defense was the shield stored in one of her bags. She saw a rock in the distance; a rock big enough to shelter both of them. The four men following the brothers had stopped shooting in order to catch up to them. Bahu and Ukani saw this as an opportunity to trim down the number of their pursuers.
BAHU: Quick, Ukani; do you think you can do it?!- yelled Bahu as she signaled for the rock.
UKANI: Yeah, they are not too far - nodded Ukani as he pulled and arrow out of his quiver.
What happened next was a perfectly synchronized maneuver; one that the brothers had practiced since they were little. Bahu had some distance on Ukani so she got to the edge of the rock first; she turned around in a swift move and kneeled in one leg as she put her hands together. Ukani saw his sister get ready and he yelled:
Where are they?!
BAHU: five o’clock, sixty feet from here! - yelled Bahu as she braced herself.
Ukani got his bow ready as he stepped on Bahu’s hands; she quickly gave him a boost. Ukani turned around in the air, graceful as a hawk, arrow in hand, and enemy in sight. He took a breath and everything slowed down; his heartbeat was the only sound he heard in those five seconds. His fingers tightened around the feathers of the arrow as if to savor a moment of false hesitation. Suddenly, the fingers let go; onward flew the arrow, wounding the wind in its path, craving for flesh and blood. One of the pursuers fell down as the arrow pierced his skull; with its craving now satiated, the arrow rested on the sand and the flesh. The other three men remained in shock as they saw their comrade’s corpse in the sand; until the one that seemed like the leader yelled:
Kill them, kill them both!
Ukani landed in the sand shielded by the rock, but unable to see his enemies. Bahu saw another swarm of arrows coming down, and so she quickly joined Ukani in the safety of the rock.
BAHU: Well done, I saw one of them fall down, brother.
UKANI: We are still outnumbered!
BAHU: Get it together; the camels are just up ahead. We’ll have to make a run for it. They’ve been shooting arrows at us and keeping a safe distance this whole time; that means they are not good at close combat. All we need is a chance to get closer to them and I’ll let my sword take care of the rest.
UKANI: This is crazy; all this time I thought we were going to use the camels to escape.
BAHU: Oh little brother, we will escape; right after we deal with the ones trying to kill us. If we don’t kill them now, they’ll warn more and more people; and soon enough we’ll have a whole squad searching for us.
The rain of arrows stopped.
BAHU: Okay, now is our chance; at the same time, brother. Let’s go!
Ukani and Bahu started to run with all their might; they just had to make it past the dune. All of a sudden, the desert went quiet again; only the subtle flutter of the arrows against the wind could be heard. Bahu ran as fast as humanly possible, but she knew what was coming; she could smell death in the air, much like she did that night. Everything went according to plan that fateful night. Ukani’s arrows took down anyone who stood in their way; while Bahu’s vengeful blade glided across town seeking only for one man’s blood. Maskim was his name; he was the leader of the bounty hunters in that town and a skilled warrior like his best friend, Bahu’s father.
UKANI: Ahhhh! – Screamed Ukani, one of the arrows had pierced through his left leg.
Her brother’s scream of pain made Bahu look back; she was at the top of the dune now, he was a few feet away lying in the sand. She saw the bloody sand, arrows scattered everywhere; she also saw the enemy getting ready to shoot again.
BAHU: Come on little brother, just a bit more; its run or die! - yelled Bahu as she helped her brother get up.
They walked their way to the top of the dune; only to be welcomed by a horrible stench. Bahu and Ukani shared a smile; there were camel feces all over the sand.
BAHU: Quickly brother, get on top of your camel; they are almost here! - said Bahu as she tied her brother’s wound to stop the bleeding.
BAHU: Can you still shoot? - She said while looking for her shield and a sword.
UKANI: We will find out now won’t we! - He yelled as an arrow sprung out of his bow and into the air.
The arrow landed near one of the archers; they were getting closer to the bottom of the dune. There were only three of them now. The sun was shining bright, the glare in their eyes made it impossible for them to see what was coming. It was running fast towards them, it was death itself; it was Bahu with her shield and sword in hand ready to spill some bounty hunter’s blood. When the glare was over, and they were able to see again; it was too late to react. Bahu’s sword was cutting off an archer’s head; the other archer got ready to shoot as the leader unsheathed his scimitar. But Bahu had deadly reflexes; she threw her shield at the only archer left. He avoided it in time, only to meet Bahu’s blade right after; a spurt of blood shot out followed by the archer’s heavy corpse falling to a golden dusty grave. The leader of the archers knew he was next, and so he got ready to fight; their blades crossed in a metallic roar. Bahu remembered the sound of her blade and Maskim’s in that cold moonlit night. Maskim was a formidable warrior, there was no doubt he was stronger than her; physically and mentally. But that night, Bahu wasn’t herself; she was an agent of vengeance. Ukani joined the fight ready to shoot at Maskim, but Bahu stopped him with three words:
He must suffer! - She yelled full of rage.
Ukani stopped loading his arrow and put his bow down as a sign of respect for his older sister.
MASKIM: Oh poor little Uki, all these years later and you are still living in your sister’s shadow.
BAHU: Maskiiiiim! - She yelled as she charged towards him with murderous intent.
Their swords crossed once more, this time He easily subdued her; sending her flying across the room with one kick. Bahu fell to the ground and so did her sword. Maskim walked towards the brothers with poise and elegance.
MASKIM: Bahu, did you honestly think you could waltz into my town, MY TOWN; kill more than half of my men and get away alive?!- He said as he walked over to Ukani, whom was frozen with fear.
MASKIM: See, this is the problem with young warriors like you. They have- he punched Ukani- No respect- he punched Ukani again-And no loyalty.
Ukani fell to the ground powerless against this beast of muscle and might. Maskim raised his sword ready to kill Ukani. As the sword dipped down to taste blood; it was stopped by Bahu’s blade.
BAHU: How can you speak of loyalty, when you betrayed my father all those years ago–yelled Bahu as she got up to fight once more.
UKANI: Sis, I’m all out of arrows! - He yelled under the heat of the sunny desert morning.
BAHU: That’s okay; I can finish this runt on my own.
The leader of the archers had a good handle on his scimitar; he proved a very agile and fair fighter. The match started to look one-sided as Bahu grew wearier by the minute. There was blood dripping from her right arm; a shallow cut made by the scimitar earlier in the fight. The leader charged at Bahu with the intention of delivering a killing blow; Bahu’s reflexes bested him. She avoided the attack swiftly delivering a cut to his chest. The leader fell to the ground unable to stand from his wounds. He realized his impeding fate and started crawling away from her. Bahu walked slowly towards him; enjoying each step more than the last.
LEADER: Please, mercy; show mercy! – Plead the man as he kept crawling.
Bahu put one foot on the man’s back to stop him from crawling any further.
BAHU: You know, there was a man who begged for his life just like you are right now. That man killed my father, his best friend, in cold blood. That man’s name was Maskim.
LEADER: Please, that has nothing to do with me; I’m just following orders.
BAHU: Orders or no orders, you still put an arrow through my brother’s leg- She said as her sword swiftly plunged into the man’s chest.
Watching the motionless body of her latest victim; Bahu remembered Maskim’s last words before dying that night.
MASKIM: You defeated me, Bahu; now finish it. – said Maskim as his body fell to the ground wounded beyond healing.
BAHU: I intend to, traitor! - She yelled as she readied her sword.
MASKIM: But know this, once you kill me; there is no turning back. Don’t you see? This is what you are meant to become; a blade of revenge, an agent of death, a bringer of chaos itself. Tell me your name child! - Demanded Maskim with his lasts breaths.
UKANI: Her name is Bahu; you know that.
MASKIM: No, that’s just a nickname; her real name is….- Bahu killed Maskim before he finished his sentence. The two brothers walked away from the town that night; weary and bloody from the fight.
So there she stood, in the warm sun of the dessert morning with a bloody sword in her hand and victory in the other. There she stood, with one foot in a dead man’s back and the other one in the hot sand. She looked up as if challenging the sky itself; a warm, deadly air blew on her face.
My name is…Tiamat!
The sun shined down with no mercy that morning; his golden rays seemed to suck all the life out of the dessert and the Tigris River. It was a dead morning; anything that could make a noise was still sleeping. Only the sound of human footsteps could be heard; each step was louder as their leather boots pushed against the sand. Their weary and bloodied armors wouldn’t be of much use in a fight. Suddenly, the steps quickened as an arrow landed right next to Ukani’s foot. Another arrow was shot; the thick hot air was swiftly cut by its flight. This one landed near Bahu as she shouted:
-Ukani, run!
The two brothers started to run as a flurry of arrows rained down upon them.
UKANI: I don’t think this was part of your plan, sister, was it? How many do you think are after us? -yelled Ukani as he tried to catch up to her.
BAHU: Just four by my count; but more will join them soon. Keep running; the camels should be close by- said Bahu between breaths.
Bahu ran fast and graceful like a gazelle; her fair skinned body glistened in the desert sun. Her short black hair remained stoic against the breeze. She didn’t wear enough armor for a warrior; but she could sure fight like one. There was nothing but sun and sand in the horizon, but Bahu knew exactly where she had left the camels before going into that wretched town the night before. She started to think about what happened; that night turned out bloodier than even she expected. The wind blew cold like a festering omen of death as she stood still looking into the town. Bahu was ready, her sword was screaming for a taste of vengeful murder.
UKANI: Sis, this is not the time to dwell on yesterday. We are being chased here!
Ukani’s words brought Bahu back from her thoughts. She knew that their only chance for survival was to get to the camels; and their only chance for defense was the shield stored in one of her bags. She saw a rock in the distance; a rock big enough to shelter both of them. The four men following the brothers had stopped shooting in order to catch up to them. Bahu and Ukani saw this as an opportunity to trim down the number of their pursuers.
BAHU: Quick, Ukani; do you think you can do it?!- yelled Bahu as she signaled for the rock.
UKANI: Yeah, they are not too far - nodded Ukani as he pulled and arrow out of his quiver.
What happened next was a perfectly synchronized maneuver; one that the brothers had practiced since they were little. Bahu had some distance on Ukani so she got to the edge of the rock first; she turned around in a swift move and kneeled in one leg as she put her hands together. Ukani saw his sister get ready and he yelled:
Where are they?!
BAHU: five o’clock, sixty feet from here! - yelled Bahu as she braced herself.
Ukani got his bow ready as he stepped on Bahu’s hands; she quickly gave him a boost. Ukani turned around in the air, graceful as a hawk, arrow in hand, and enemy in sight. He took a breath and everything slowed down; his heartbeat was the only sound he heard in those five seconds. His fingers tightened around the feathers of the arrow as if to savor a moment of false hesitation. Suddenly, the fingers let go; onward flew the arrow, wounding the wind in its path, craving for flesh and blood. One of the pursuers fell down as the arrow pierced his skull; with its craving now satiated, the arrow rested on the sand and the flesh. The other three men remained in shock as they saw their comrade’s corpse in the sand; until the one that seemed like the leader yelled:
Kill them, kill them both!
Ukani landed in the sand shielded by the rock, but unable to see his enemies. Bahu saw another swarm of arrows coming down, and so she quickly joined Ukani in the safety of the rock.
BAHU: Well done, I saw one of them fall down, brother.
UKANI: We are still outnumbered!
BAHU: Get it together; the camels are just up ahead. We’ll have to make a run for it. They’ve been shooting arrows at us and keeping a safe distance this whole time; that means they are not good at close combat. All we need is a chance to get closer to them and I’ll let my sword take care of the rest.
UKANI: This is crazy; all this time I thought we were going to use the camels to escape.
BAHU: Oh little brother, we will escape; right after we deal with the ones trying to kill us. If we don’t kill them now, they’ll warn more and more people; and soon enough we’ll have a whole squad searching for us.
The rain of arrows stopped.
BAHU: Okay, now is our chance; at the same time, brother. Let’s go!
Ukani and Bahu started to run with all their might; they just had to make it past the dune. All of a sudden, the desert went quiet again; only the subtle flutter of the arrows against the wind could be heard. Bahu ran as fast as humanly possible, but she knew what was coming; she could smell death in the air, much like she did that night. Everything went according to plan that fateful night. Ukani’s arrows took down anyone who stood in their way; while Bahu’s vengeful blade glided across town seeking only for one man’s blood. Maskim was his name; he was the leader of the bounty hunters in that town and a skilled warrior like his best friend, Bahu’s father.
UKANI: Ahhhh! – Screamed Ukani, one of the arrows had pierced through his left leg.
Her brother’s scream of pain made Bahu look back; she was at the top of the dune now, he was a few feet away lying in the sand. She saw the bloody sand, arrows scattered everywhere; she also saw the enemy getting ready to shoot again.
BAHU: Come on little brother, just a bit more; its run or die! - yelled Bahu as she helped her brother get up.
They walked their way to the top of the dune; only to be welcomed by a horrible stench. Bahu and Ukani shared a smile; there were camel feces all over the sand.
BAHU: Quickly brother, get on top of your camel; they are almost here! - said Bahu as she tied her brother’s wound to stop the bleeding.
BAHU: Can you still shoot? - She said while looking for her shield and a sword.
UKANI: We will find out now won’t we! - He yelled as an arrow sprung out of his bow and into the air.
The arrow landed near one of the archers; they were getting closer to the bottom of the dune. There were only three of them now. The sun was shining bright, the glare in their eyes made it impossible for them to see what was coming. It was running fast towards them, it was death itself; it was Bahu with her shield and sword in hand ready to spill some bounty hunter’s blood. When the glare was over, and they were able to see again; it was too late to react. Bahu’s sword was cutting off an archer’s head; the other archer got ready to shoot as the leader unsheathed his scimitar. But Bahu had deadly reflexes; she threw her shield at the only archer left. He avoided it in time, only to meet Bahu’s blade right after; a spurt of blood shot out followed by the archer’s heavy corpse falling to a golden dusty grave. The leader of the archers knew he was next, and so he got ready to fight; their blades crossed in a metallic roar. Bahu remembered the sound of her blade and Maskim’s in that cold moonlit night. Maskim was a formidable warrior, there was no doubt he was stronger than her; physically and mentally. But that night, Bahu wasn’t herself; she was an agent of vengeance. Ukani joined the fight ready to shoot at Maskim, but Bahu stopped him with three words:
He must suffer! - She yelled full of rage.
Ukani stopped loading his arrow and put his bow down as a sign of respect for his older sister.
MASKIM: Oh poor little Uki, all these years later and you are still living in your sister’s shadow.
BAHU: Maskiiiiim! - She yelled as she charged towards him with murderous intent.
Their swords crossed once more, this time He easily subdued her; sending her flying across the room with one kick. Bahu fell to the ground and so did her sword. Maskim walked towards the brothers with poise and elegance.
MASKIM: Bahu, did you honestly think you could waltz into my town, MY TOWN; kill more than half of my men and get away alive?!- He said as he walked over to Ukani, whom was frozen with fear.
MASKIM: See, this is the problem with young warriors like you. They have- he punched Ukani- No respect- he punched Ukani again-And no loyalty.
Ukani fell to the ground powerless against this beast of muscle and might. Maskim raised his sword ready to kill Ukani. As the sword dipped down to taste blood; it was stopped by Bahu’s blade.
BAHU: How can you speak of loyalty, when you betrayed my father all those years ago–yelled Bahu as she got up to fight once more.
UKANI: Sis, I’m all out of arrows! - He yelled under the heat of the sunny desert morning.
BAHU: That’s okay; I can finish this runt on my own.
The leader of the archers had a good handle on his scimitar; he proved a very agile and fair fighter. The match started to look one-sided as Bahu grew wearier by the minute. There was blood dripping from her right arm; a shallow cut made by the scimitar earlier in the fight. The leader charged at Bahu with the intention of delivering a killing blow; Bahu’s reflexes bested him. She avoided the attack swiftly delivering a cut to his chest. The leader fell to the ground unable to stand from his wounds. He realized his impeding fate and started crawling away from her. Bahu walked slowly towards him; enjoying each step more than the last.
LEADER: Please, mercy; show mercy! – Plead the man as he kept crawling.
Bahu put one foot on the man’s back to stop him from crawling any further.
BAHU: You know, there was a man who begged for his life just like you are right now. That man killed my father, his best friend, in cold blood. That man’s name was Maskim.
LEADER: Please, that has nothing to do with me; I’m just following orders.
BAHU: Orders or no orders, you still put an arrow through my brother’s leg- She said as her sword swiftly plunged into the man’s chest.
Watching the motionless body of her latest victim; Bahu remembered Maskim’s last words before dying that night.
MASKIM: You defeated me, Bahu; now finish it. – said Maskim as his body fell to the ground wounded beyond healing.
BAHU: I intend to, traitor! - She yelled as she readied her sword.
MASKIM: But know this, once you kill me; there is no turning back. Don’t you see? This is what you are meant to become; a blade of revenge, an agent of death, a bringer of chaos itself. Tell me your name child! - Demanded Maskim with his lasts breaths.
UKANI: Her name is Bahu; you know that.
MASKIM: No, that’s just a nickname; her real name is….- Bahu killed Maskim before he finished his sentence. The two brothers walked away from the town that night; weary and bloody from the fight.
So there she stood, in the warm sun of the dessert morning with a bloody sword in her hand and victory in the other. There she stood, with one foot in a dead man’s back and the other one in the hot sand. She looked up as if challenging the sky itself; a warm, deadly air blew on her face.
My name is…Tiamat!
