Absolute Chaos

Otamia, Ancient Egypt, Earth.

7,842 BCE

Twilight had vanished and the darkness now showed her true face. Starlight sprayed its tiny silver wonders over the cool hidden night, whilst streaky grey clouds slashed through the inky cosmos, hiding the silver moons light.

Raijen stretched his neck backwards, taking in the magnificent black sphere above. He had always been fascinated with the nights sky, the beauty he witnessed each night was beyond him, its magnificence taking his breath past the stars.

Standing atop the large mountain that ran from the East of the Nile, Raijen and his two friends Maia and Lykus were guarding the lands of Otamia, the name of the vast city in which was their home.

Lykus and Maia stood by his side scanning the sands below. It was a still dark night, only a thin slither of silver graced the black orb above.

They didn’t suspect there would be any trouble, there rarely ever was these days.

Raijen looked towards the mighty Nile, just making out the dark water as it shimmered on the horizon.

“When is your father supposed to return Raijen?.” Maia asked him, her dark eyes moving rapidly over the land.

“Four sunrises and sunsets,...but I wish it was longer.” Raijen sighed, he wasn’t joking, although all three friends laughed. He could not stand his father, Araphel. The things Araphel did to acquire what he wanted were horrific to say the least.

Araphel was not only Raijen’s father, he was also the ruler of Otamia, their pharaoh, their ‘great’ King. He was a cruel sadistic ruler, believing power was gained with brutal force and murder, not kindness.

Raijen had learnt from a very young age not to defy his father, he had been a quick witted boy, knowing how to play his father, knowing exactly how to indulge in his madness, yet all the while confided between a sparse few friends of his true feelings, them been mainly the opposite of his sires.

As the hours passed, the three friends tired and now sat upon the cold rocky Earth. Lykus and Maia were holding hands, both becoming quite close in the last few weeks. Raijen inwardly smiled, rolling his eyes towards them.

Maia hadn’t stopped yawning since they had settled on the peak of the great mountain.

“I cannot sleep these days, I have dreams filled with fear and hate.” Again yawning, Maia rubbed at her large dark eyes.

“I will make you something to help you sleep Maia. Just a few drops in your mead will send you into the perfect slumber.” Lykus gently told her.

The three friends sat silently enjoying the quiet calm. The air smelt crisp and clean, the sound of the soft mountain springs fell gently amid their ears, listening to the cool liquid work its way down the smooth rocky slopes.

It was Lykus who first saw it. In the darkness above, what looked like four tiny silver stars streaked rapidly towards Mother Earth.

Momentarily puzzled, Raijen watched Lykus snatch his hand from Maia’s and abruptly stand.

“Look!.” Sounding excited, both Raijen and Maia stood quickly by his side.

Peering into the black night, Raijen could see the splash of tiny stars twinkling in its void. Squinting his eyes towards the spray of silver glory, he now saw what resembled four bright shooting stars falling to Earth, the speed in which they travelled unimaginable.

As the burning streaks of silver broke through the stratosphere, he noticed one of the stars burned a dark brilliant blue, the other three stars appeared to scatter away from the blue star and fade off into the dark clouds.

The blue falling streak powered rapidly towards Earth, growing closer by the second. It appeared to be coming directly for them on the rocky cliffs peak, however it landed to their left in the vast open plains, terrifying the sleeping cattle and gazelle from the long grasslands.

The friends scurried down the rocky slopes, having made the climb thousands of times before, they could scale the mountainside quite quickly, intimately knowing every foothold and each harsh rock.

Once the three friends reached the bottom, they sprinted across the open plain, closer to what they believed was a fallen star.

Raijen stopped short as they neared, both Lykus and Maia halting behind him.

Not realising he was holding his breath, Raijen cautiously approached the dark glowing light, it illuminated the grassland around where it had landed. No sound came from the rift, yet the ground beneath them throbbed like a rapid heartbeat.

They crept closer, seeing whatever had fallen from above had torn a shallow crater in the mighty Earth.

With bated breath, Raijen peeked inside the glowing hole. What he set his eyes upon left him stumbling for words, completely flawed by what lay inside the shallow crater, it instantly stole the air from his lungs, scattering his breath to the cool Egyptian winds.

It was a woman, yet not quite, as two tremendous grey wings the colour of stormy dark clouds lay slumped at her sides. The winged creature radiated a dull, dark blue light, it flowed over her milky white flesh, travelling throughout her wings in tiny electric pulses.

She lay before him completely naked, with skin as pale as rare snow. Her flaxen hair lay in long tangled clumps over her perfectly sculptured shoulders, barely covering her ashen breasts.

She bore a tattoo of many strange symbols which ran in a thin line from under her left breast, down her entire side and continued over the length of her sleek leg, wrapping itself around her delicate ankle.

The winged creature was completely still, yet alive, he could see her chest rapidly moving beneath her small breasts.

Before Raijen could form another thought, he climbed down into the crater and knelt at the fallen beings side, quickly tearing the flax wrap from his shoulders and held it to the gaping hole in her flesh.

Averting his eyes from her nudity, he shot a quick look towards Maia. No words were needed, Maia didn’t hesitate, she quickly threw him the fur from her shoulders, where he lay it over the stunning creatures naked form.

Lykus and Maia climbed down into the small crater and stood just behind Raijen. The three friends had never seen anyone or anything quite like this winged creature before. Her skin was so pale, unlike any of the Otamian’s dark tones, her beauty simply exquisite, it swelled inside her unique design.

Streaks of blood nearly covered each wing, although he couldn’t see any visible injuries on them from where she lay. A large nasty gash slashed down her left side, the skin had split right through her strange tattoo, the poor creatures rib cage was visible amid the gore, the flesh and muscle had been torn and blood ran freely from her pale skin.

Raijen knew an injury like this should be fatal, along with her great fall to Earth, however remarkably the winged woman was still alive.

He dared to touch her flesh, it was fiercely hot, burning Raijen’s fingertips, a fever beyond measure must be upon her he thought. Gently lifting her shoulders off the ground, he carefully sat her up, holding her small body in place, the creatures head lolling to the side, she was out cold.

Raijen spoke rapidly to his two friends.

“We need to get her to the city, back to my cave. I don’t think it’s a good idea if we are seen,... I think a presence of the unknown may frighten most of the Otamian’s.” These words came out a little too firmly, Maia and Lykus knew it wasn’t really a request, it was more of an order as such.

“I’ll go ahead and make sure we are clear.” Lykus jumped from the crater and quickly sprinted into the darkness before either he or Maia could speak.

Shrugging, Raijen looked to Maia.

“Could you please hold up her wings while I carry her?.” Lifting the fallen being as he spoke, gently cradling her in his powerful arms.

The extraordinary creature wasn’t much taller than Maia, her light wiry frame made the climb out onto the grassland fairly easy.

Maia bowed, immediately obeying and now walked beside their Kings son holding a huge feathered secret in her small hands.

They moved silently, blending into the shadows, staying close to the imposing mountains face and made their way into the city of Otamia. The small mud brick homes where the slaves dwelt lined the sandstone paths, staying close to the huts they wove gently up the Southside of the mountain.

As you climbed the steep slope, the huts became noticeably larger. Scaling it further the dwellings considerably changed from the simple domed mud brick design, to stone and wood. Here the people with a trade lived as well as Araphel’s large army. These huts were a little higher up the hillside than the slaves and their children’s dwellings and much better equipped with food and mead.

Raijen lived close to the peak of the hillside, his home had been carved out of the harsh mountains rock and made into a roomy cave. His fathers vast cave was the only one above his, the King of Otamia having the greatest home of all.

Lykus peered into the darkness past the small mud brick huts, signalling to Raijen and Maia. They quietly walked out from the shadows, carrying what they believed was a fallen Angel up the long path.

The moon appeared frozen, winking directly above, only casting a faint streak of silver upon Otamia.

It was late enough for most of Otamia to be sleeping and the majority of Araphel’s army had accompanied him on his latest rampage. Araphel had only left a handful of guards to keep watch over the slaves in his absence, whilst Raijen had been left in charge of the Otamian’s and the lands until his fathers return.

Following Lykus into the shadows, they made their way into his cave. Lykus quickly lit a candle and spread a large fur over Raijen’s bed and he lay the exquisite creature onto the soft fur, her lithe bare body rolled limply to the side, her magnificent grey feathers following in turn.

Raijen found a clean flax linen wrap and handed it to Maia. Nodding, she knelt beside the extraordinary creature, laying the light cloth over her bare body, covering her as best she could.

Lykus left to fetch clean water, while Raijen lit the fireplace. Maia stood, wiping dirt across her face with the back of her hand, quietly speaking.

“Raijen.... I’m scared....is she an Angel?,...Or is she maybe a...demon?.”

“Well I doubt she’s a demon Maia...but whatever she is, she needs our help and we cannot let my father see her... Do you understand?.” Raijen’s amber irises darkened, glaring intently at her, he knew she could be a handful sometimes, he didn’t need her mouthing off to the wrong person.

“I’m not going to even speak with your father Raijen!.” Maia became defensive, like usual. She was about to add more to her outburst when Lykus returned with the fresh water, immediately noticing Maia’s anxious expression and Raijen’s fierce glare.

”I cant leave you two alone for a minute, can I?.” Raijen clashed with Maia at the best of times, he was practically her big brother, it was obvious to Lykus that words had just passed between them.

“I just asked Maia to keep her mouth shut about all this..... The last thing we need is my father knowing,..who knows how he will react.”

Standing abruptly, Maia flashed her dark irises towards Raijen and stormed from his cave.

Lykus sighed, “Don’t worry my friend, I will go and calm her down, I will make sure she keeps her.... mouth shut...Can you handle this alone?.” Asking before he left to find Maia.

Raijen smiled at his truest friend. “I hope so Lykus, I will patch her up the best I can.”

Lykus nodded, quietly closing the door behind him.

***

Neither Maia or Lykus noticed the woman standing in the shadows near Raijen’s cave, blending into the dark mountains rock, watching and waiting until she could safely climb back down the hillside.

Once Maia and Lykus were out of sight, the sly woman moved into the darkness and back down the shadowed path, disappearing into her tiny mud brick hut.

***

Raijen warmed the fresh water over his small fire place, the smoke rising out through the stone flue that was carved through the rock, the smoke filtering into the dark nights air.

Kneeling beside the winged creature, he stared intently at her flawless flesh. He had never seen anyone or anything quite like her before. He knew of Gods and Goddesses, Angels, monsters and demons, nonetheless he had never seen one.

The God Temu was Otamia’s God, the people worshipped the fierce sun God, praying to him each day, begging that he return after the darkness that would swallow Temu’s great sun each night.

Although the fallen being was unconscious and had not yet spoken one word, Raijen found himself perplexed at the strange stirrings he felt from within. From the time he had found the Angel and carried her to his cave, he felt an overwhelming urge to protect this stunning being. He did not understand these fierce emotions, angry and confused with himself. He had always been so strong and certain, nonetheless he felt neither of these right now.

Raijen knew he should have thrown the winged beauty in the dungeons, just like she was another trespasser or a common thief, yet she was someone else entirely.

Looking upon her magnificent wings he sighed, believing she must be an Angel who had fallen from the stars, she could not be anything else.

The water now warm, Raijen poured it into a pottery bowl, dipping a clean strip of flax linen into it and gently wiping the tepid liquid over the Angel’s perfect face, cleaning the smeared dirt and blood from her flawless ashen skin.

He had never seen a creature so fair before, each resident of Otamia had skin colour ranging from a dark tan to near black, not white.

Ever so gently he moved the linen sheet from her chest and washed the deep open gash, trying desperately not to gaze upon her breasts as he worked over the nasty wound, mentally slapping himself the whole time.

The wound ran over her upper rib cage just under her left breast, it then tore down her side towards her hip and ripped clean through the ink of the strange tattoo that graced the winged being.

A sleek blue light pulsed between the Angel’s gaping flesh, it been barely visible, yet he could see it nonetheless.

Wrapping the wound with a clean flax cloth, he tied it firmly around her back and again covered her chest with the cool linen, ashamed that he had gazed upon her milky skin.

Focusing his attention now to her tattoo, Raijen gently washed the blood from the intricate symbols, trying to be as gentle as possible.

He looked at the first small picture in the long tattooed line, it was of an eight sided star, a thin line underneath it and two small dots next to the line. The symbol beneath the star was a snake, the serpents mouth consumed its tail in the pattern of infinity. Different symbols followed, one after the another until it reached the creatures delicate ankle. On closer inspection you could see that each symbol was not coloured with just solid black ink, but inside each tattoo there were tiny coded letters, numbers and triangular symbols.

Fascination swelled from that deep place within, the exquisite creature lay before him, his heart absorbing her sweet essence with each passing moment, these deep, fearsome emotions began to terrify him.

Sheer awe flashed before Raijen, the amber inside each iris darkened, he looked down upon her, amazed at the fallen creatures pure beauty, every part of her body was truely perfect, each curve and muscle was made with the utmost of care, each long lithe limb precisely carved, the creatures was exquisite.

Everything from her small waist and breasts to her elegant long neck and flawless silky skin was unique, her cheek bones sat high and proud upon her face, with a small set nose and determined chin, she had been made with such obvious love and tenderness, he wondered what awesome God could have created such a wondrous being.

Shaking his head, Raijen tried to focus while he slowly poured the tepid water over the Angel’s side.

Gulping in the tepid air inside his cave, Raijen’s heart began to slam against his ripped chest. The beautiful creature began to stir, her body slightly trembling, groaning, although she quickly fell silent again.

It took a few long moments before Raijen’s heartbeat started to slow the tiniest amount, it now galloped like a spooked arabian not a stampede of crazed gazelle, desperately trying to rein his heart in, taking deep long breaths until it finally calmed to a fast canter.

Raijen dared to roll the Angel onto her side, seeing the blood that seeped from her shoulder blades, it was much thicker here, it had turned her deep grey feathers into a strange dark burgundy.

He dipped another piece of flax in the tepid water, gently wiping it over her wings, washing the crimson from her soft feathers.

The thunder came from out of nowhere then, it split the air, shattering Raijen’s reverie.

The fallen Angel’s huge eyes shot open, her dark sapphire irises flashing in deep panic. The exquisite winged creature quickly scrambled backwards off his bed, smashing against his caves far wall.

Raijen was left utterly speechless and completely without breath, stunned. Two huge swirling dark oceans drilled into his very core, he could see endless pools of mind bending knowledge swimming amid their awesome depths.

Raijen”s heart skipped ahead of itself, the sheer drowning beauty inside her irises floored him, mesmerising him with fear and absolute wonder.