Dystopian Gods of Amara

Asherah was still sitting in her palace room surrounded with emptiness and memories of times gone by. She fiddled with the necklace around her neck – her birth right and felt the power surging around her hands. She remembered the good old days of when she, Yam and El first met, and how they had saved the universe. The first war.... Her reverie broken; a booming knock came to the door.

Hadd, her handsome son was standing looking so much like his father that it started her torrential tears again. He looked at his mother’s frail form, far from the strong goddess of old, it was almost as if she was disappearing. She loved his father so much that the pain seemed to have drowned his mother’s spirit into a fleeting shadow of her former self.

“I have spoken to the guards and my sisters. We all agree that we should fight for you when you command,”

Hadd told his mother loyally. He loved his mother so much that his heart ached to see her in such pain. He wanted to take it from her and make her feel better.

Asherah gazed at her son with a defeated look in her eyes. They appeared cloudy and glazed, as though someone had taken her spark, and she was soulless.

“More death?” she responded.

“I don't think that I can take anymore! I’m going to implode... I cannot risk anymore of you. I honestly couldn't take it!”

Hadd started to worry. He had never seen his mother so beaten. She would normally do what was right regardless of the cost. She would normally fight against injustice, but it seemed as though she had nothing left. The fight in her had vanished. She was desolate, barren, and without hope.

“So, we do nothing?! Just let him get away with it. What about father?”

Hadd questioned, gently prodding for some sign that his mother could return to her former self.

Asherah felt huge tears welling up in her glistening eyes,

“If we do anything then Yam will kill your father. I cannot risk that or anymore death. I must do what he wants, and I will find your father in time without you all. It would be suicide, and while I welcome death, I honestly could not cope if something happened to you too! My babies...” she said softly, stroking her hand gently across her son’s handsome, chiselled cheek.

Hadd turned and pulled his mother to him in an embrace,

“I love you – you know that?” he whispered.

“I love you too, my darling!”

Asherah cried between her sobs.

Hadd was concerned for his mother's well-being, but he could not and would not, oppose her. He knew that she was the wisest of them all and that she would act if it meant success. He could not do anything but feel helpless. With everything that was going on – to have so much power and feel powerless is a horrible feeling. He would have to save his energies as he would never let anything in this world hurt her.

“We will remain ready. We will be your sword, your eyes, and your ears if you so wish!”

Hadd said gallantly, kneeling before his mother.

Asherah felt grateful to her son as she looked out of her room to see the desolation that had been brought upon the land.

“I will let you know when the time is right! I want no more blood spilled if it can be prevented.”

Hadd stood up and kissed his mother on the forehead as he walked purposely towards the door. His thoughts were buzzing about his head. What if she could not find his father? Something was affecting her wisdom, and he believed that the loss of his father clouding her judgement. You cannot give in to people making demands, and you must fight for what is right no matter what the cost. He decided to give his mother time to think, for who knows how long El had left. Hadd did not believe for one second that Yam would keep his word. He knew that Yam would try to kill El, and he also knew that he would stop him.

***

Yam returned to his chambers within his palace to go and see Asherah to explain. He was very worried about the fate of their paradise. He walked down the long winding corridor inside of the palace to Asherah's room.

Standing at her door he heard her sobbing inside of the room, and for a second, he felt so guilty for what he had done. He reinforced it to himself that it was for the greater good so in his mind it was reasonable and right. The fear inside him was increasing, as he knew the seals would not hold El for much longer. His brother was too powerful and would break free and come for him.

Yam decided that now was not the time to speak with Asherah, instead he would go to discuss the next plan of action. Walking along the winding corridor to the stairs that wound down into the ballroom, he entered the room in the centre. The room was so plush, and decorated with satin gold walls, and lace winding around the borders of the room. The velvety ceiling was painted a vivid scene showing Amara when it was at its best. Yam missed those days with El and Asherah, but he knew that he could not turn back now and had no room for failure.

Yam called for Michael.

Michael appeared quickly before him in a bright light.

“Yes Father!”

Yam spoke quietly trying to block out other Amarians from picking up his words.

“Michael, I don't think that the seals will hold El for much longer. Action must be taken to prevent him from escaping!” Yam stated to his son.

Michael's heart sank, he knew what his father was going to ask of him, and this was something that he wanted no part of.

“Father we can't kill him - he's immortal!”

Michael stated in protest, desperately clutching for something to get him out of the task.

Yam's eyes narrowed at Michael.

“I have a way to do this. We can split him into seven sections. One for each seal, and we can scatter the pieces across the universe. I will keep one piece with me so that someone will have to defeat me to get him back.”

Michael stuttered and stammered.

“I won't have the power to do this on my own!”

Yam was annoyed at the interruptions.

“Let me finish! I have a blade that was blessed long ago by our father, which will allow you to sever his aura connection, and stop him from fighting using his god energy throughout the process.”

Michael did not like this but agreed his orders and reluctantly left.

***

Asherah decided to walk around the palace. She saw Yam talking to Michael in the ballroom. She moved closer, camouflaging into the ceiling, so that she was above them. She listened intently to Yam saying how he planned to kill El. Asherah could not allow this to happen! Hadd was right, he would never stop. Asherah knew that it was probably suicide, but she would gladly die over, and over again for her beloved El and her family. If Yam wanted a war, then he had one!

Reforming her spirit body, Asherah moulded it out of the ceiling where she had been hidden. Her strength was restoring, her anger turning to power. It was as if her insides had turned to stone, void and dead. Slinking out of the palace so that she was not seen, she ran swiftly through the lush forest nearby.

Asherah walked through the masses of trees, flowering bushes and shrubs. She looked for the clearing that was her family's grove. Asherah’s heart was still, as though nothing was inside and as if all her emotions had been stripped away. The deadness of her soul was crying out, but she could not allow herself to listen anymore.

Once in the grove, she remembered the happy times that she and El had shared there. She saw a glimpse of herself and El in their youth and their clandestine romance – rather like Romeo and Juliet. Their families at war... They had laughed and giggled when he had tackled her to the ground, and they had rolled around playfully, gently kissing one another - an immortal love that would never die. Asherah remembered the first time that she ever saw El, and the feeling that she had in her soul. She had known from the moment she met him that he was her only soulmate, and that no matter what happened their love was unconditional. Asherah’s memories haunted her fading heart, as a hole was where it had once been. The only remedy for her now was to find El before Yam harmed him. If she did not, then she would be like stone forever – Asherah’s people had the uncanny ability to turn off their emotions. All her race had been power hungry... and had all...No! Not now! She thought. Asherah pulled herself out of her reverie.

She cleared her mind and called upon Hadd using the secret sigils that she had stored. She put the sigils on the ground and summoned the elements. They spun around her head like a typhoon. Pieces of earth and bark tore off the trees to represent earth, molecules from the stream representing water gushing around as flying droplets through the clearing. A gale blew, and a fire created from one of the branches spinning around in a dizzying fantastical display.

***

Hadd suddenly became aware of the pull yanking his entire being through a gaping vortex. He landed with a thud on the grass he stood up, feeling quite dazed and confused.

“What's the meaning of this?” he shouted, not realising who had summoned him, then turning, saw his mother.

“I'm confused, why did you summon me like this?” Hadd asked, nervously rubbing his head.

Asherah's face was paler than usual, and the brightness from her eyes had disappeared completely,

“I have called you this way son, so that they are not aware of our plan. I have masked the area with powerful protection magic that would take Yam a year to annul and over-hear our discussion. They are planning to kill your father and we are not going to let that happen. We will take our armies and we must fight!” Asherah stated in a monotone voice, void of emotion.

Hadd looked at his mother thoughtfully.

“Why the sudden change of heart?” he asked.

She looked at him with a glint in her eye.

“We will fight for what is ours, and if we don't win, then at least I won't have this pain anymore. At least I know that we tried! They can take my body, they can take my soul, but they will never take any of me willingly. I will stand up and fight for what is right no matter what the cost!”

Hadd had enormous respect for his mother at this moment. He knew that they were going on a suicide mission. He knew that she was aware of that too. At best they might be scattered but it was highly likely that they would be bound and sealed, which was a more permanent way of getting rid of Amarians. This method had not been used for years and Hadd only knew of it as his father had told him how they had done this to the originals. Hadd shuddered briefly as he thought about it, but his mother did not seem to care, and the resolve on her face shone through the dark horizon of the future. Her waning strength had returned...! She looked like a rock...! Impenetrable! Completely unshaken...! He knew that this would be a battle to remember...!