The Sounds of War (The Genesis Series Book 2) (17 page)

“Wait, a message for me?” Enmerkar shook his head and covered his eyes, “How can this be? No one knows I’m here
. I didn’t even know this place existed until today!”

“Nevertheless, he said a hunter riding a white horse would soon visit our village and that when you came Shushan should give you a message!” Harmon exclaimed.

Still shaking his befuddled head Enmerkar muttered, “Me? I don’t know this Enki.”

“This I cannot answer.” Harmon turning to Shushan demanded, “Give him the message, brother.”

Shushan nodded, “Yes, I only hesitated because I was unsure that it was you who the creature spoke of. However, if you have heard of the god Ba’el, then you must be the one. The creature Enki said you would be a hunter and that you would slay the lions that stalk our sheep. Afterward, I’m to reward you but he promises to reward you too.”

“Reward me, how?”

“The reward I’m to give you is my granddaughter Semiramis. In all this land, there’s none more beautiful than she is. She is a dove; a virgin pure like the snow on top of the mountains. That she will please you, I have no doubt. She’s the daughter of my eldest son Abedah.” Shushan hesitated for a moment, then slowly continued the message, “On the day you marry Semiramis you will become the prince who receives the coverings of Adam. Enki will give you what has been missing from the tents of Noah for more than two hundred and fifty years. That is the message given to me and now I have given it to you.”

Enmerkar said nothing. He would need to think this through for sure
ly, if this Enki were from Ba’el then he would know he already possessed the lambskin garments.

When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people. It was reported to the king ... the people ... do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires. 2 Kings 17:25-26, NIV

E
nmerkar didn’t know until late in the day there was a problem in the village. Having agreed to hunt the lions, he had spent most of the day looking for their watering hole. Knowing animals create routines of behavior, he concluded if he found their watering hole, he could backtrack to their den.

The tall
savannah grasses of the river had given way to mounds of dried clay and white limestone crags, any of which would serve as an ideal den for the lions, but the day had remained fruitless, he had not found the watering hole, nor a single track of anything other than field rats.

As the sun’s shadows deepened, Enmerkar turned Ramah and headed back to the village.
As he neared, he could hear the sounds of wailing, the sounds of mourning were unmistakable. Someone had died. Dismounting Raham, he led the animal slowly toward a gathering crowd. The same lad who had cared for his horse the day before spotted Enmerkar and came running with the news, two young men, shepherds were dead, they had been killed by the lions.

Enmerkar handing Raham’s reins
over to the lad immediately questioned, “Were they killed in the pasture? Did the lions take them off? Did the lions mutilate them?”

“No, they were mauled but not mutilated,” the boy answered. “Lord Shushan wishes to see you, sir. He’s in his house
. He’ll answer your questions, sir.”

Upon entering Shushan’s home, Enmerkar
surmised from the number of men in the house, a village council was in session. Shushan spotting Enmerkar as he entered motioned for the younger man to come to his side. Bowing respectfully, Enmerkar whispered, “My condolences, I was told of the tragedy.” Turning and looking about, he asked, “Does anyone know exactly what happened?”

“The young shepherds were attending the flock when two lionesses approached the herd
.” Shushan closed his eyes and shook his head as he continued, “Sensing the danger the sheep scattered and the predators gave chase. I suppose the boys thought they could somehow frighten the lions but instead managed to trap themselves between the lions and the sheep. The lions did what lions do; they eliminated the obstacle that stood between them and a meal.”

Shushan pointed to an empt
y couch. ”I must sit.” As Shushan moved toward his couch he continued, “The other shepherds distracted the lions long enough for both the injured shepherds to crawl to safety. Before everything was over, several sheep were sacrificed to the lions as decoys, but most unfortunately of all, both young men died late this afternoon.”

Shaking his head, Enmerkar commiserated, “That’s a great shame
. It’s rare that a lion kills a human. Yet, once they do, they are apt to do it again. We need to kill these lions as soon as possible. I’ll sleep in the pasture tonight.”

That evening Enmerkar left Raham in the village and walked to the pasture where he joined the shepherds preparing for the night watch. He did not expect the lions to return to the pasture so soon after a kill, nevertheless knowing there
was a possibility he could be wrong, he prepared for all contingencies by arming himself with everything except the lambskins.

Walking about the pasture,
Enmerkar’s thoughts kept returning to the matter of the lambskin garments. Shushan believed Enki would restore the garments. If he suddenly showed up wearing them, he would need to explain how he came to have possession of them. His mind imagined all possible scenarios he could invent. He had to have a plausible explanation in order to put on the lambskins and wear them before setting out in search of the lions.

His father had said no prey would escape him if he wore the garments
. To his thinking, it was imperative to wear the garments to hunt the lions, especially since the lions had tasted human blood. And it was equally vital, if he were to remain in the territory to have a reasonable explanation concerning the lambskin garments.

Time passed quickly and soon the dawn began to break, having not
slept during the night, Enmerkar spotted a small grassy knoll, strolled the few hundred yards from the camp and stretched out on the grass. Locking his fingers behind his head, he continued to think upon the lambskins as he stared at the fading night sky. One thought led to another, and he began to wonder why everyone believed Shem would succeed Noah. Shem was the second son not the first. By the rights of firstborn, Japheth should inherit the garments, if Noah still possessed them. His body tired and his brain weary of thought, Enmerkar began to drift into sleep when he heard, w
hat is it to you, or to Japheth, if El Elyon should choose to bring the Promised One through the lineage of a second son rather than the first? The garments did not belong to Ham. He dishonored his father. Do not follow his example. There is no magic in the garments. They represent the forgiveness and mercy of a loving God. They were given to the first Melek. They belong to the Melek. El Elyon loves you, son of Cush, son of Ham and he extends his mercy to you. He seeks you. Forgiveness waits for you!

Enmerkar sat up and looked around, no one was near. “Is there some
one here?”

No one an
swered.

“Forgiveness for what
?” He paused then asked, “If you hear me, what is it that I have done?”

You do not believe in El Elyon’s provision for redemption
, nor have you accepted him as the only God, the true God.

Rising upon his knees, Enmerkar argued, “El Elyon destroyed Earth…and Ba’el exists, did not Shushan say this place is the territory of Ba’el, the master god?” Then standing he covered his mouth with one hand and put the other on his hip as he contemplated the strength of his beliefs, “I am right, I know I am
. Ba’el is real.”

After some moments, he dropped to the ground again and looked to the eastern ho
rizon where the sun’s rays were breaking through the night’s darkness. Defiantly he asked, “Why can’t there be more than one god? Why should I worship only El Elyon? How can El Elyon be the only God, as you say? Who was the one who wore the breastplate of gold?” Not expecting the voice to answer, he was surprised when he heard;
El Elyon cannot share your heart. No one can have two masters. You will hate one and love the other. You heard the story from Noah as he gave you great wisdom. He told you of the war that is depicted by the Mazzaroth. Accept the One who sits on the Throne of Aravot. Redemption cannot be yours because of the garments, nor can your reward come because you kill a lion. If you trust in the love of El Elyon, he will lead you to redemption. El Elyon is willing to transform you through his acts of love, and if you accept this, he will reward you and give you immortality of life in Zevul
.

Enmerkar
sat up on his hunches and thought about everything he knew about the gods. All his life he had believed in the superiority of his father over the common man. Told repeatedly that he was different and had a destiny of greatness, he believed his father. Whoever was speaking to him from the invisible world promised nothing He wanted greatness. Enmerkar stood and then said with no remorse, “I do not accept what you say. I shall go to the river and find the one who is called Enki. He will reward me. I’ll kill the lions and men will bow before me. I do not need El Elyon. I possess the garments of Adam. They already empower me as my father foretold.”

No one answered.

After making his way to the village just after daybreak Enmerkar informed Shushan he would be absent for a day and a night. The shepherds must keep the bonfires burning until he returned. Gathering all of his belongings and tying them to Raham’s saddle, he set out to find Enki.

It was late in the day when
the signs indicated he was in the same area that Jared and his friend had been when they encountered Enki. Pulling back on the reins, he halted Raham and then scanned the vista. From the cliff where he was to the river, looked to be the same as Jared had described.

In the distance, t
he Euphrates looked like a ribbon of navy blue as it twisted into the green horizon of the river valley. Enmerkar once again had the feeling he was in the land of the gods. He made the decision to go no further. This place would offer a safe haven for the evening. Thirty minutes later, he had dug a small hole and laid the wood for a fire. After completing the preparations for a night camp, he inexplicably felt compelled to remount Raham and search for Enki.

Riding east
toward the river, he felt an inner beckoning. Raham sensed something as well, the animal was attentive and alert and seemed to be headed toward someone or something. Coming to a sloping hill, Raham picked his way cautiously down it and into a cropping of oak and poplar trees that grew alongside a slow-moving tributary of the river. At the stream, Raham slowed to drink and Enmerkar took the opportunity to assess their surroundings.

Darkness was overtaking them. T
he narrow deep ravine had captured the hues of purple in the twilight sky and turned them black. Enmerkar felt a shiver, a foreboding that warned he would not get another chance, if he continued he would enter perpetual darkness. A chill ran down his spine as the premonition of death tightened its grip. Enmerkar had the thought,
if I continue to move forward I will die and live in everlasting torment.

As he picked up the reins to turn Raham a more compelling thought entered his mind,
if I continue to press forward I will find my destiny of greatness
. Perplexed for some moments, Enmerkar weighed his options, and then goaded Raham forward.

As his horse plodded
through the stream, the woods grew eerily silent. Other than the occasional clicking of Raham’s hooves against the pebbles in the stream, there was no sound. Every animal and every bird had grown silent. Even the sounds of insects were non-existent. The absence of sound seemed to have removed the oxygen from the air, his taut muscles compressed beyond endurance as nerves seemed to dangle endlessly outside his body. He began to doubt the wisdom of continuing, and then precipitously Enki stepped into view.

From the dark obscurity of the
trees, the creature that Enmerkar knew instantly was Enki moved toward him. Telepathically speaking Enki commanded him,
Leave your horse, and follow me
.

Shade and shadow fell across the creature’s
features, yet the supernatural essence was undeniable. At least twenty feet tall, the creature stood upright on two legs, arms and hands dangling past what should be knees, it was difficult to assess the full nature of the beast other than he was not human.

A
n aurora floated around Enki that invoked fear and produced a sick feeling in the pit of Enmerkar’s stomach. Yet, he could not turn away. He was spellbound, almost to the point of mindlessness. Without warning, Enki began to run, leaving Enmerkar behind. Enmerkar quickly dismounted his horse and ran, following as best he could, like a puppy on its master’s heels.

Thirty minutes later,
Enmerkar barely had the creature in sight when the woods gave way into a clearing. Enmerkar averted his eyes to familiarize himself with the new surroundings. When he looked back to where Enki had been, he was no longer there. Then suddenly Enki was standing less than ten feet from him pointing into the night sky.

Enmerkar had to come to an abrupt halt or risk
ed running into Enki. Trying to slow his body, heart, and mind, Enmerkar put both hands on his hips and looked heavenward as he dropped to his knees. What Enki pointed to looked like a falling star. However, as Enmerkar continued to gaze at the star he realized it wasn’t moving across the night sky but was coming toward them from out of the night sky and growing in size. Enmerkar realized he was looking at what Noah had tried to describe, a flying vessel.

It is the chariot of Ba’el
,
Enki informed.

L
aughing at Enmerkar’s continued astonishment, Enki threw his head back in a mocking gesture and demanded,
Come now; let’s not keep the master waiting
. Motioning for Enmerkar to stand beside him, Enki twisted his body around Enmerkar’s, threw Enmerkar into the air, and then caught him as if he were a mere toy.

Slung onto Enki’s back as if he were a mantle, Enmerkar quickly surmised Enki possessed the ability to fly. Holding his breath,
but keeping his eyes open, he watched as they flew over the river and then landed like a bird onto one of the Euphrates’ larger islands. Sliding off the back of the giant, Enmerkar immediately spotted the chariot of Ba’el. It had preceded them to the island.

As they neared t
he chariot, Enmerkar knew why Noah had found it so difficult to describe the flying vessels of the Nephilim. That the vessel was not of Earth was certain. It wasn’t a chariot, nor was it a ship; it was unlike anything he had ever seen. There was no word known to Enmerkar that gave description. The flying vessel simply had no name.

The unnamed vessel suddenly lit up. L
ights flashed randomly around the circular craft and it began emitting a low-pitched hum that caused the hair on his forearms to stand. As Enki approached the silver craft, it shimmered like the morning mist and opened with a hiss, Ba’el emerged.