Dark Rain: Book 1 of The Aetherium Saga

by Jilly MacKenzie

  ‘I am not what you all want me to be. I am not a god. And I am not your king,’ he declared, but she refused to accept his piteous delusion.

  ‘You are Marduk. Son of Enki,’ she began, and he paced away in frustration. ‘God of Storms. Young Bull of the Sun,’ she continued.

  He faced the distant sun, placing an arm on the window for support, as if bracing himself through her verbal onslaught.

  ‘You are Bel. Lord of Babylon. You are Ra and conqueror of Egypt and the Land of the Two Narrows,’ she proclaimed, coming to a stop next to him.

  She grasped his shoulder and turned him to face her, his bored expression enraging her further.

  ‘When you took flight, the winds from your great wings would flatten buildings. When you were defied, you would bring down your mighty sword, Imhullu, and smite your enemies where they stood. When you were enraged, you would wear fire as your armour, and scorch the naysayers in a blazing torrent!’

  He looked away from her, as if ashamed, ‘Nanaya… Please.’

  She was tensed with passionate fury, eyeing him intensely, willing him to remember who he was. He turned to her with gentle resignation.

  ‘I. Am. Not.’ He emphasised the words, soft yet stern, hoping to make himself clear. He grasped her hand, placing it over his heart.

  ‘Feel me,’ he demanded, ‘Know that I am still me. Still myself. But different. Better.’

  She pondered a moment, relishing the sensation of his heart beneath her hand. Beating loud and strong. Full of passion and fury. And she relaxed. He is still in there, she breathed, he is still strong with purpose. I can feel his fire.

  ‘Then what? What has changed your heart?’ she whispered, and Marduk closed his eyes, his brows knitted. He didn’t want to hurt Nanaya.

  ‘My Chosen.’

  She eyed him with curiosity, concealing her breaking heart.

  ‘Humans used to be nothing to you,’ she recalled, ‘You’re playing a dangerous game, Marduk. Your Chosen is a weakness.’

  ‘Our temples lie in ruins, Nanaya. Our cults, gone. Our reign, over. When I was a husk with no purpose, no guidance. She found me in the dark. Raised me from perdition. My loneliness knows hers. My soul knows hers.’

  ‘She is a weakness,’ Nanaya warned.

  ‘But love isn’t!’ he barked, ‘You taught me that.’

  Nanaya fell silent, regarding him thoughtfully. She hadn’t expected to have her own words used against her. But perhaps he is right. Either way, I must accept his will.

  ‘You will be restored, Marduk,’ she softly murmured, ‘You will be full Anuna again.’ And with nothing more to say, Nanaya left the room.

  Marduk softly frowned to himself. He regretted nothing, and he too wanted restore his aetherium link. To better protect her.

  Chapter 16

  Exodus

  Isimud sat at the head of the assembly of Watchers, massaging his weary temples.

  ‘So...’ he began, looking pointedly at Marduk through heavy brows, ‘It is time to reestablish Anuzi control of our homeland.’

  ‘How am I to help?’ Marduk quizzed bitterly, holding his arms out.

  ‘You should have thought about that before you made the Joining. And continue to aetherate to your Chosen,’ Isimud stated sternly.

  Marduk sneered at him. Always so self-righteous and arrogant, Marduk noted with annoyance, striking the huge quartz table with a fist. The seven Watchers twitched in surprise.

  ‘Do not question my reasons, sukkal,’ he rumbled, putting Isimud in his place. The old messenger leaned back in his chair, resignedly.

  ‘I am with you,’ Marduk began, gazing about at the Watchers, ‘But it is frustrating when I am not you equal in power.’

  ‘You are wrong,’ Isimud grinned knowingly, and Marduk tilted his head in confusion.

  ‘On a short burst of borrowed aether, you managed to perform the Ankida bond,’ the elderly vizier explained, glancing pointedly at Nanaya who bowed her head in shame. ‘And have since aetherated a number of times, as well as healing your Chosen.’

  Marduk narrowed his eyes questioningly, and Isimud laughed in disbelief.

  ‘You do not realise your own power, Marduk!’ he began, ‘The rest of us would barely be functioning after enduring the Fall. But you… you are performing extraordinarily well. Your heritage. Your royal blood. It is obvious, for all to see. Whether you accept it or not, you are still the greatest of us all.’

  Marduk regarded Isimud’s tired, lined face, and let out a nodding sigh.

  ‘What will you have me do?’ he breathed, and Nergal rose to his feet with pride.

  ‘Come with us, my brother!’ He boomed, clapping Marduk on the back in appreciation.

  ‘Yes, it is time now,’ Isimud concurred.

  ‘Let me hear your plan then?’ Marduk declared with a wave of his hand, as he settled into his seat beside Nergal.

  ‘After almost two decades of trying to reclaim our homeland, the Tiamatian forces on Nibiru, are finally dwindling,’ Erishkigal’s serious voice explained, and her lifemate Nergal nodded in agreement.

  ‘Which means they have their centre of operations elsewhere, off planet,’ he divulged.

  ‘They know I’m back,’ Marduk assumed, and the assembly murmured low agreements.

  ‘They have help too,’ Utu added, ‘Zetan activity around Earth’s space has increased.’

  Nergal seemed thoughtful, delving into his extensive knowledge of strategy and warfare.

  ‘The Tiamatians, or at least, those grey cretins, have a base, or waystation near Earth,’ he guessed.

  ‘My old Marsbase?’ Marduk suggested.

  ‘Perhaps…’ Isimud stroked his long dark beard.

  ‘So Nibiru is salvageable? What of the resident Anunnaki, and people?’ Marduk probed.

  ‘They need help from us higher Anunnaki in order to make a difference,’ Bau’s green eyes regarded him softly. ‘They need help from you. As a royal, you will rally more support from the loyal Anuzi and human warriors.’

  The Watchers mumbled in affirmation, and Girsu leaned forward to speak.

  ‘We have been fighting numerous battles on Nibiru for over 2000 years. It has been the base of the Tiamatian rising for all that time,’ he informed.

  ‘Until a few years ago…’ Erishkigal’s dark lips smirked at Marduk, ‘It was then, they must have learned of your awakening, and return.’

  Girsu nodded, ‘And they’ve been steadily departing Nibiru ever since. Their numbers are half of what they once were. Now is the time to act.’

  Nergal twisted a bronzed fist into the table. The memory of the battles fueling the god of war's love of combat.

  ‘I’m looking forward to wiping clean the streets of Eden!’ he snickered.

  Marduk gazed about at the seven Watchers. Some of them were of the original seven, and some were newly installed unto the position. Many have obviously died. Or defected to the Tiamatians. How could I have been so blind to their struggle?

  ‘We will all transfer aether to you before the battle, Bel,’ Isimud added. ‘It will be enough to for you to summon your armour, and perhaps some power too.’

  Marduk nodded in gratitude, ‘I appreciate it.’

  Utu clapped his hands together in excitement.

  ‘Son of Enki himself! I cannot wait to see what you've got, brother!’ he exclaimed. Marduk and Nergal chuckled simultaneously at the youngsters' show of admiration.

  ‘It is going to be a glorious victory!’ Nergal bellowed with surety.

  ‘Who is Tiamat’s agent on Nibiru? Who are we up against?’ Marduk enquired, and the mention of Tiamat made them stiffen with concealed hatred.

  ‘Who!’ he demanded. Isimud raised his eyebrows and rubbed his face, preparing himself, but Nanaya beat him to the revelation.

  ‘Nannar…’ she informed, and Marduk knew the mentioned Anuna all too well, except by a different name.

  ‘Sin… My cousin. Of course… Of course he would follow his father’s path!’
Marduk glowered with bitterness. ‘I can easily defeat that whelp!’

  They all flinched at Marduk’s sudden outburst, causing the great table to shudder as he stood, and Girsu's drink spill, much to his annoyance.

  ‘Well… I guess he’s ready to go!’ Nergal laughed at the assembly, and Marduk relaxed in amusement.

  Isimud concluded the assembly, and the preparations for the attack on Nibiru were underway.

  ***

  After a few hours of struggling through deep snow, and following the icy River Loire northeast, the group warily crossed a grand stone bridge into the abandoned city of Blois.

  Although absent of inhabitants, Blois, like every former settlement, had frequent, or resident, rangers and conservators. These specialist people and AI are tasked with the continuous reparations, maintenance, and management of places of historical or ecological importance.

  Suspecting that the Blois conservators may know of the recent incident at nearby Drakestoke, and may likely also be informers to the IGS, Lenore urged the group to follow her lead carefully.

  The group ducked out of sight when they heard footsteps echoing on cobblestones, and they sprinted silently through the steep, twisting streets. Most houses were half covered in vegetation, and nature had its way between stones, bricks, and over timber frames.

  Cat stopped to stare in awe at the facade of a museum, which featured six golden dragon heads peering out of the windows. Axel ushered her along quickly, and after what seemed like hundreds of stone steps, and near vertical ascents, the group emerged up to a good vantage point.

  They rested together in a cloud of shared exhaustion, overlooking the forgotten, snow-covered city of Blois. Lenore gazed out over the frosted rooftops and spires, to the glistening Loire, and noticed the creeping dawn beginning to touch the horizon. Transfixed by the crisp wintry beauty, she had almost forgotten about the horrors of the night, until Emile sniffled and wiped away her streaming tears. All at once, the post-traumatic shock and melancholy returned to Lenore's mind. What a night!

  She had noticed that Emile was a frequent weeper. Recalling her daily crying at meal times and alone in the library of Drakestoke. Depression most likely, Lenore pondered sympathetically as she studied the meek, slight girl.

  Long dark hair settled about her shoulders, and her face was attractively structured, but solemn. Almost sallow and gaunt with inner melancholia. Her straight, low eyebrows gave her grey eyes a permanently forlorn expression. If her face were weather, it would be drizzle on an overcast morning.

  Cat was shivering under Axels embrace, and even the talkative Finn was quiet with cold and fatigue.

  Lenore looked about herself, and noted a securely boarded up house just below their position. The roof skylight had been forgotten when the homeowners had gone about securing their home before they left. A way in.

  Lenore stood stiffly, and pointed down to the roof below ‘We need to get in there. It's tightly boarded, so we can make a fire that won't be easily seen.’

  At the promise of warmth, the group rose in a mutual weary groan, and Finn's dark calculating eyes peered over.

  ‘Mm… a 6 metre drop, give or take,’ he moaned, ‘Hanging, then a reverse push off will make it 5 metres. Easy entry. Not a bad find, Norey,’ he praised.

  Lenore frowned at the mutilation of her name, as she watched Finn’s swift and effortless hop over the small stone wall. He held on over the other side with one arm, poised for the jump to the rooftop below.

  They all watched him push off, leaping gracefully through the night air, like a fox. He landed with a soft thump on the roof, and then beamed a self-gratifying grin, motioning for the rest to follow.

  Cat whined softly, ‘I don't think I can make the jump.’ Axel stroked her small cold cheek with his thumb.

  ‘You can. You used to love jumping on and off things, remember?’ Recalling the times when her feline behaviour was prevalent, Cat slowly nodded. She just hoped her small size and stiff, frozen muscles won’t let her down.

  Lenore urged the other three to go before her. Axel made short work of the jump, and caught Cat when she made hers.

  Emile stopped at the wall near Lenore, and tentatively heaved herself up and over.

  ‘You’ll be fine,’ Lenore reassured.

  ‘I hope so,’ Emile replied tentatively, her subtle French accent was hardly discernible. And then she turned and pushed off the wall, landing safely with the others who pulled her in away from the edge.

  Lenore noticed a small light coming from the narrow alleyway to her right, accompanied by an approaching hum as a humanoid graphene shape hovered into view. An AI! I cannot be detected!.

  She quickly launched over the wall to get out of sight, and lost her grip, falling ten meters to the street below.

  ‘Lenore!’ Cat screamed down to her, as the group peered in shock over the edge on their roof.

  ‘Shh!’ Lenore hissed in pain, waving her arm irritably, as if shooing them away. ‘Hide!’

  They looked ahead at their starting point and saw the AI scanning the surrounding stonework for a job to do. They tapped each other silently, and scrambled on the slippery tiles over the ridge of the roof, laying down flat on the other side, hidden from view.

  Lenore pressed into the darkness of the wall, listening intently to the whirring of the machine above. She saw a white light pass the rooftop where the group were moments ago. The snow had been disturbed with their movements, revealing cleared streaks. Lenore hoped the AI would rule it out as animal movements. Perhaps a lynx or fox who liked to explore the abandoned homes.

  The light disappeared and the sound of the AI receded as it moved away. Lenore waited until it was out of earshot, and allowed herself to let out a pained hiss as she grasped her sprained ankle. During her fall she had tried to find a handhold and her hands were also severely grazed.

  ‘Lenore,’ Axel called softly as he descended down the house, using the window frames and thick boards as holds. She pressed her throbbing palms into the snow to sooth them, and looked up to see him striding towards her.

  ‘I'm alright,’ she assured as he pulled her up to her feet. ‘I… Ouch!’ she winced and her injured ankle reactively collapsed beneath her and Axel dipped to support her.

  He walked her slowly back to the house and helped her up onto the first window ledge. Lenore stood tentatively on her painful foot, and winced as she pulled herself up one more level. She was exhausted from the pain and exertion already, and her eyebrows drew together in discomfort as Axel pushed her feet up to another window ledge.

  They both groaned in pain as he pushed. The jagged soles of her winter boots cut into his palms, and her ankle searing from the pressure. The struggle upwards felt like an eternity to Lenore, and her aching arms began to give way from exhaustion, but a firm grip caught her from above.

  Lenore's weary head snapped up to see Finn's mischievous crooked smile. He winked at her and hauled her up towards him, with Axel continuing to push her upwards until she was safely up onto the roof.

  Lenore rolled onto Finns legs, breathing heavily in pain, and he looked sideways at Cat and Emile awkwardly as they stifled giggles.

  Axel ascended up to the group and immediately went to check Lenore's ankle, and she writhed in agony, turning to scream into Finns jacket.

  Cat joined Axel in assessing Lenore's ankle, holding the bottom of her pant leg out of the way, as Axel gently bent her foot in a variety of directions. Lenore hissed and groaned with every movement, her hand flying upwards, grasping a handful of Finns clothing, pulling him downwards. He looked down worriedly, and gently placed a hand on Lenore's head in hopes of calming her down before she ripped him apart.

  ‘It doesn't seem broken,’ Axel announced, carefully placing Lenore's foot back down.

  ‘We should get her inside,’ Emile suggested, momentarily combating her shyness and finding her voice. Finn nodded in agreement, and manoeuvred Lenore gently off of his legs. He gently positioned himself under her arm, and
pulled her up as he slowly stood.

  Axel began prying open the skylight window with his fingertips. Easily made loose by 50 years of decay, the rotten wooden frame crackled, and the window flipped up.

  Holding the window open with one arm, Axel helped Cat hop down into the darkness with his free arm. Her small voice called out from below, ‘it's alright, come on down!’

  Axel helped Emile jump down to Cat, then both he and Finn lowered Lenore gently down to the awaiting arms of the girls. Finn jumped down almost immediately and quickly reclaimed his position as Lenore's support. Axel let the window fall closed behind him as he finally joined them.

  The group let their eyes adjust to the dark and began to take in their surroundings. The room was an attic space. The walls were adorned with dusty framed artworks, and numerous bookcases encircling a large central desk. Some sort of study perhaps, Lenore wearily noted.

  ‘We need to go downstairs if we are to make a fire, this skylight will give us away,’ she groaned, and winced as Finn readjusted himself, his shoulder beginning to ache under her weight.

  ‘Sorry,’ he muttered while flashing her an uncomfortable grin. He guided her towards the stairs, following the group as they disappeared down into the bowels of the house.

  The level below was even darker now that they had left the skylight behind. The approaching light of dawn was no longer able to reach their eyes.

  ‘There's a torch in my bag. In the side compartment,’ Lenore stated, and Cat swiftly opened it up and rummaged out a small object. Moments later, a yellow glow illuminated the entire hallway they stood in. Axel gently opened up the first doorway of the hallway, and entered.

  ‘There is a fireplace in here,’ called Axel.

  Cat skipped inside, taking the light with her. Finn led Lenore in and settled her down carefully on a large upholstered sofa. He then crouched in front of the fireplace, digging around in his own bag.

  The torch light danced about as Cat inspected the luxurious room, and Lenore turned to Finn who had pulled out a multi-purpose tool, and suddenly, yellow sparks flitted onto the dusty logs. He relit it multiple times, until finally the crusted old bark of the logs began to smoulder and burn. The orange glow became stronger, and Lenore could feel the biting chill of winter begin to shrink back as she was warmed by the emanating heat.