Noah Primeval (Chronicles of the Nephilim)

by Brian Godawa

  Neela was the first under attack. A pazuzu lifted her off her horse. Ham hacked off its beastly legs, and Neela dropped back onto her steed. His back swing caught another one by its wing, sending it crashing to the ground to be trampled by the horses. Ham had worked with these creatures and had a good sense of their movements and attack patterns.

  Japheth did not. Three of the dog-faced creatures attacked him together. They gouged his head and shoulders with their razor talons. Blood oozed freely from the multiple wounds.

  Uriel was just ahead of Japheth. He grabbed a bow and quiver of arrows and spun around on his horse. Riding backward, he picked off pazuzus like target practice. With his superhuman speed and preternatural aim, he rapidly downed six of the flying fiends in quick succession.

  Then he ran out of arrows.

  Shem swung Rahab over his head like a twirling rope fan, slicing half a dozen pazuzus in half with ease. He was actually enjoying it.

  Then, for no apparent reason, the remaining few pazuzus gave up and returned to the sky above them.

  But the damage had been done. They had been dramatically slowed down. Inanna’s assassin squad was almost upon them. Noah worried what they would do about Behemoth, who was surely blocking their path through the gorge.

  Chapter 32

  The battle of gods and men resumed with the huge box towering behind the city lines. Yet another skirmish further weakened the human forces. Methuselah had sent forth their last battalion of soldiers. They were totally committed, and most were dead. The angels alone held their ground and kept the forces at bay. But they needed to turn their attention to their calling, that of binding the Watchers. When they left the human forces to do that, the tide of the battle turned fully against Methuselah’s men.

  Tubal-cain and Jubal fought near each other, comrades in battle to the end. Their tactics and skills were diametrically opposite. Tubal-cain bashed, crushed, and clobbered two at a time with his muscle-bound brawn, while Jubal danced a free flowing stream of slicing, dicing, and slashing. He had picked up the Karabu technique well and was quite good at it. They were a complimentary team. Jubal longed to be fighting next to his dear departed brother. He suspected he would see him soon. Tubal-cain wondered if he had already eaten his last meal, because he was starving.

  Mikael zeroed in on Enlil and his Naphil. Mikael’s agile sword matched the Naphil’s swift axe, thrust for thrust. Mikael waited for the right moment. It came when the Naphil dodged an attack and fell off balance for just an instant. That was all Mikael needed. He dove in between the Naphil’s long legs and rolled beneath him. He cut its heel tendons on both sides. Surprised, the Naphil fell to the ground, twisting and landing on his back, pinning Enlil.

  In a split second, Mikael was upon the god. Enlil had been knocked dizzy by the fall.

  Mikael swiftly cut off the Naphil’s head. He pulled Enlil out from under the creature. Hoisting the groggy Watcher on his shoulders, he ran for the huge crevice in the midst of the field and jumped right in with his hostage.

  Gabriel and Raphael teamed up against Enki and Ninhursag. But when Enki saw the fall of Enlil, he grabbed his horn and sounded a wailing call.

  The large box on the field had five men up top. They wielded their sledgehammers in response to Enki’s horn. They slammed out the large pins that held the hinges of the box front.

  The door crashed open. A huge flood of seawater flushed out of the box and onto the battlefield. It washed away monsters and men. Lurking in that gargantuan box of salty brine was something else: Leviathan.

  The sea dragon slithered out onto the field, a literal fish out of water — a gigantic and very angry fish, with multiple heads, monstrous teeth, serious armored scales, and a powerful tail. The writhing twisting serpent flipped around, crushing everything in its wake and dispersing all in its path. Its jaws snapped viciously, chomping chimeras and humans left and right, forward and behind. None escaped its fury.

  Tubal-cain and five other warriors circled a Naphil. The giant’s durability wore them down. Then Leviathan was released quite close to them. Tubal-cain could see its impenetrable armored scales, smell its decrepit fishy stench, and feel the heat of its fiery breath. Not only did the creature crush, chomp and slaughter, but it breathed fire from some of its mouths when out of the water and in contact with the air. One burst of flame burnt a company of combating warriors to a crisp in seconds. It would all be over shortly.

  Methuselah saw the end was near. He released their final secret weapon to counter the monster on the battlefield: Behemoth. Behemoth was the monstrosity that killed his beloved Edna, and Methuselah had vowed to one day return and kill the monster. The creature had taken away the grace in his otherwise lonely life. But when Methuselah had faced the bitterness in his soul, he had realized that his redemption would be found not in killing the monster, but in capturing it and turning it into a benefit for Elohim’s purposes.

  Even though it was blind in one eye, the brutish beast required ten angels and thirty men to capture it in the mountains. The angels had used their supernatural binding cords to muzzle it and incarcerate it in a large cedar cage on wheels.

  That cage now rolled wildly down the hill into the heat of battle, heading directly for Leviathan.

  Warriors dove out of its way. Some did not see it coming and were crushed under its massive wheels. The aim had been accurate. The cage crashed right into Leviathan. The sea beast’s massive tail swung around, exploding the wooden structure to pieces, releasing the roaring Behemoth.

  A shiver of hope went through Methuselah. Behemoth was not as big as Leviathan, but it was at home both on land and in water. That should have placed its aqueous nemesis at a disadvantage. Perhaps it would match Leviathan’s ferocity with its own bones of bronze, tail of cedar, and teeth of iron.

  But it was not to be.

  A wave of dread washed over Methuselah. It did not attack Leviathan. He watched the one-eyed Behemoth strike out for the easier prey, the last living soldiers on the battle ground. Now, two gigantic monsters smashed everything around them like a team of destroyers. Their gamble had not paid off. Their plan had failed.

  It was all over, thought Methuselah.

  Down in the battle, Tubal-cain saw his moment and charged. The Naphil had only a sword. It was unaware of one of the dragon’s heads right behind him, turning in their direction. Tubal-cain knew they needed another few moments of diversion, so he burst out of the circle and engaged the Naphil one on one. It was a foolish action that only a man who knew that all was lost with no other chance would make. It was enough to divert the Naphil.

  It turned to faced Tubal-cain. The burly metalworker’s robust human size was like an infant in comparison with the demigod.

  Tubal-cain managed a few good hits against the giant. Then it swung its blade and cut off Tubal-cain’s arm in one clean cut.

  Tubal-cain cried out in pain and dropped to his knees.

  The Naphil looked down, planning an execution style finish to this courageous but failed little warrior. It did not realize that Tubal-cain had not dropped out of pain, but out of calculation. Behind the Naphil, two heads of Leviathan swiveled in their direction, mere cubits away.

  The Naphil heard the deep guttural sound of air gurgling and metabolically interacting with chemicals inside Leviathan’s innards, but he did not turn toward the noise. He raised his sword high to finish off the prone Tubal-cain. The wounded warrior fell prostrate to avoid the wall of fire that spewed from Leviathan’s mouths. An inferno of flame engulfed the Naphil and others around him.

  Tubal-cain may have lost his arm, but he had not lost his wits, thanks to the adrenaline of battle surging through his body. The burning blast flared just above where he lay, singeing his hair, and giving him a heat rash he would not care for if he lived until tomorrow. But he did not expect a tomorrow. He had only today. He raised the stump of the arm and allowed the flame to cauterize the wound, giving him more time to fight. It would be a bit more difficult with the lack of h
is sword arm. Oh well, he thought, Elohim can give me a new one when I rise to meet him.

  Behemoth trampled and attacked downhill toward the last of the armies of the gods. At least now it was killing only the enemy. The writhing serpent Leviathan slid closer to the large chasm, closer to the battling titans of archangels and Watchers, its heads snapping up bodies as it went.

  Enki and his Naphil were vicious in battle. Gabriel was taking a pounding. Enki did not see Mikael come up out of the crevice from behind him. Mikael had taken care of Enlil. Now he jumped Enki, leaping as Gabriel attacked. The two of them were a mighty team, but Enki was fighting for his eternity. Even though he was near the crevice, he was not going to let these two god-lickers ruin his future.

  Tubal-cain and Jubal each saw the wrestling match of god and angels from their two different locations. Tubal-cain fought on foot, in spite of the pain of his newly cauterized wound. Jubal sat on the back of a horse he recently acquired from a now headless opponent. They were within distance of the match. They caught each other’s eyes and nodded. They smirked in recognition, knowing what they had to do. It was now a personal contest between them, who could get there first.

  Tubal-cain bolted forward on foot. Jubal kicked his horse and galloped for the divine beings in battle.

  The grappling tangle of flesh that was Enki, his Naphil, Mikael, and Gabriel were evenly matched. The tie breaker came in the form of Tubal-cain and Jubal. They hit the tangled bodies almost simultaneously. Tubal-cain was sure he had reached the target a flash before Jubal. It was exactly the amount of force needed to throw the balance in favor of the angels. The whole lot of them tumbled over the edge and into the wide fissure.

  Tubal-cain had enough breath left in him to shout to Jubal as they were plunging downward, “I BEAT YOU!”

  Jubal had the last word, knowing where they were heading, “Let Elohim decide!”

  Tubal-cain had the last thought, Yes, but you had a horse, and I was on foot.

  The turbulent waters of the great deep swallowed them up.

  Tubal-cain and Jubal were not the only ones who would not leave that crevasse. Mikael and Gabriel bound Enki in the depths of the Abyss with the Cherubim hair from their armbands.

  Above, at the precipice of the rift, the snapping jaws of Leviathan moved closer to Ninhursag on his Naphil. The god fought with Raphael. The mouths of six of the seven dragon heads were full of soldiers. One of the heads started choking. It had swallowed a Nephilim and two soldiers whole. But one head focused on Ninhursag and his Naphil. It was ready for another bite.

  Raphael had one chance. He took it. He leapt right up into the arms of the Naphil, jamming his sword into the creature’s chest. It screamed in pain and fell backward, with Ninhursag still in the harness, right into the jaws of Leviathan. The jaws snapped shut on both Watcher and Naphil.

  Another earthquake tumbled the field like waves. Leviathan flipped into the crevice and descended into the deep.

  It started to rain.

  Chapter 33

  Methuselah had not been able to tell Noah about the capture of Behemoth. So it was a gratifying surprise when they entered the Hidden Valley without the deep roar and imposing presence of the humongous guardian blocking their path. Unfortunately, it also meant that there was nothing to block the path of their pursuers.

  The earth convulsed as Noah and his band arrived at the Hidden Valley village. Lightning and thunder increased in frequency. The sky was black with storm clouds. The floodgates of heaven opened upon them and dropped rain like a waterfall.

  The wives of Shem and Japheth stood at the opening of the tebah. The village was empty of all life. Noah was thankful that the rest of the village must be safe inside the box. They just needed to get to the door in time and close themselves in.

  They did not reach the door in time.

  Inanna and her squad of soldiers and Nephilim broke through the brush and into the clearing. Lugalanu immediately broke away from the squad. He jumped down from his mount, and circled around the structure on foot.

  Another quake suddenly split the ground beneath the feet of Inanna’s hellions. Many of them went down alive into Sheol, bird-men, dog-men and Nephilim alike. Nanna and his bull-man ride were swallowed up into the Abyss.

  If only all the Watchers would fall so easily, thought Uriel. He shoved Noah toward the box, and yelled, “GET IN AND LOCK THE GATE! NOW!” He turned to face the enemy, drawing his double swords.

  Noah and his family ran for it. They reached the door. But Noah, Shem, and Japheth stopped to cut down the few soldiers that caught up with them.

  Noah turned and saw Uriel dispatch two Nephilim and five bird-men soldiers with uncanny swiftness. The power of Elohim transfigured the angel and he became a shining star. And that shining star blocked Inanna’s approach to the boat.

  Noah whirled to pull the rope to the door ballast. It would lift up the huge heavy doorway.

  The rope had been cut.

  They could not pull it up themselves. It was far too heavy.

  More soldiers were almost upon them.

  To their surprise, Elohim himself closed the door and shut them in, leaving the world outside to its destiny.

  They did not ask questions about the miracle. They quickly reinforced the door and applied pitch to the edges for sealant.

  That done, Noah turned and saw his family, seven of them—he made eight: Emzara, Shem and his wife Sedeq, Japheth and his wife Adatanes, and Ham and his wife Neela.

  Strange, he thought. “Where is the rest of the village?”

  Sedeq and Adatanes looked down.

  “Where is the rest of the village?” he repeated.

  “Did not Uriel tell you?” said Sedeq.

  “Tell me what?” His voice grew more stressed.

  Adatanes was bolder than Sedeq. “They fought with the armies of man.”

  “They what?” He could hardly contain himself.

  “They fought with the armies of man against the gods,” she repeated.

  “You are telling me the entire tribe of men, women and children went to die in the battlefield?” This was madness.

  Adatanes told him their story. After Noah left to rescue Emzara, the angel of the Lord, Mal’ak Yahweh as he was called, came to their village. He had come riding on a cloud in the presence of his holy ones and he spoke the word of Elohim to them.

  She continued, “He told us that he was coming to judge the earth and that it was his will that only the family of Noah board the boat when the floods came. It was not easy on the ears to hear this. But there was something about Mal’ak Yahweh. It was as if he went to each member of the tribe and comforted them individually with assurance. I cannot tell you how, father-in-law, but he spoke to each of us, and we knew he would bring the world to rights.”

  “Well, if that is not just like him,” complained Noah. “He still seems to enjoy speaking directly to everyone but me.”

  Sedeq and Adatanes giggled.

  “Do not be impertinent young ladies,” snapped Noah.

  “Forgive us,” said Adatanes. “It is just that, well, Mal’ak Yahweh said you would say those very words.”

  “If I live to be a thousand, I will never understand his ways,” he finished. “But perhaps that is what makes him God and me his humble servant.”

  He opened his arms wide and bid his family to join in as he beseeched Elohim, the Lord their God to have mercy upon their souls and that they would have favor in his sight.

  Outside the boat, Uriel and Inanna fought like titans. Blow by blow they were equals, but Inanna was not alone. She was on her lion-man joined by three Nephilim with maces and axes.

  The waters burst forth from the fountains of the deep and gushed out through the chasms opened in the earth. The contenders carried their battle to the rooftops of the flooding village. Uriel dispatched one Naphil, but he was ultimately overcome by the other two. They pinned him to the roof of one of the homes.

  Inanna strode up to him in the pouring rain
and thunder. She spit out with every ounce of bile that filled her demonic soul, “You have thwarted my will for the last time, you worthless slave of Elohim.”

  Another earthquake rocked the valley, causing them all to look up.

  A huge wall of water crashed through the valley. It hit the box and burst around it. It descended upon Inanna, her chimera mount, Uriel, and the Nephilim and they were instantly washed away in a churning tidal wave of doom.

  Inside the boat, Noah’s family grabbed hold of some timbers. The force of the water hit the boat and shook it loose from its mooring to the ground. The barge started to drift in the massive tide.

  On the battlefield of Dudael, the sheets of torrential rain and flood waters washed away the armies of both gods and men. They had been utterly wiped out to the last person. It was complete and total annihilation. They were all dead -- except for one last regiment of bird-men soldiers.

  On the ridge above the plain, Methuselah and his personal guard of a handful of soldiers were the last of the human tribes. They saw the regiment of bird-men ascending toward them. Methuselah smiled. He had prayed for this very thing. He had asked Elohim that he be alive to see the end, and to have a good death, one that would be glorious. He felt the rumbling behind him as a thousand soldiers approached his group of ten from below. He raised his arms to heaven and yelled with all the passion in his soul, “EDNA, I AM COMING!”

  And then he spoke the name he had learned so many years ago from his forefather Adam, the special covenant name of his god, reserved for a future time of revealing. No one would hear it now, so he was free to worship without restraint. “YAHWEH ELOHIM! THY WILL BE DONE!”

  Behind him, a huge fifteen cubit high wall of water appeared, as if bidden by Methuselah. It surged over the desert of Dudael, swallowing up everything. Methuselah and his guards disappeared under the enormous wave as it crashed upon the last of the armies of the gods and drowned them all like ants in a rainstorm.