Absolute Chaos
Chapter 9.

Raijen could see the visible fear ripple amid Amaunet’s icy irises, the deep blue freezing in dark pools as she softly spoke.

“The last thing I remember before I awoke on your bed, was drifting off to sleep high up in one of the huge vipen trees that grow on Azure-Alkun. I loved to sleep in the ethereal twilight on the very top branches of these stunning trees, letting the tepid breezes caress my heated skin, smelling the honey scented vines from atop their astounding heights.”

“Between the darkness of my slumber, I was shocked awake. A hot searing pain splintered my rib cage, instantly knocking me from the sturdy branches, falling amidst the harsh wood. I must have hit my head as I toppled towards the ground, I was in a daze, my head was spinning, huge waves of nausea took over my entire body. I hit the ground hard, the wind knocked from my very core, I was barely able to draw breath.” Amaunet paused, sipping water before she continued, her eyes faced down to her lap.

As Amaunet hurried through her tale, she didn’t consider if Raijen understood what she was telling him, not thinking to ask if he had any knowledge of the universe.

“There were two of them, their rough hands snatched at my flesh. I was enraged, struggling against them, but I was so dizzy and dazed I could not think straight. Fear tricked amid my heated blood, darkness consumed me. I had been blindfold, my wrists and ankles bound with fire and ice. Both furious and terrified I tried desperately to break free, forcing my wings from their core, nonetheless they were ripped to my sides and tied tightly against me.”

“I could not see or move. I could not use any of what powers Chaos had blessed me with, unable to use any of my gifts.”

Quite awe moved across Raijen’s carved face, sitting crossed legged on his bed facing Amaunet, many questions swarming through his mind, he was enraged at the nameless creatures that had hurt his beautiful Goddess.

He had no idea what she meant by ‘Chaos’ and he didn’t dare ask, rapt in her tale, he did not want to break the spell of her memories.

Taking another sip of water, Raijen watched Amaunet’s long smooth neck with fascination as the cool liquid slid down her throat.

“Raw panic slapped my cold flesh, I do not know what happened next, unable to see or move, although I could hear. I knew who had captured me, the two banished Gods, Shesmu and Am-heh. They now flew me to the eternal sunlight, the side of Azure-Alkun which never sleeps. The searing heat hit fast, I was thrown onto the scalding sand, my robes were quickly torn from me, the two filthy Gods hands groping my bare flesh.”

“An unbearable agony then pierced my side, the pain well past what I could bare. I knew it had to be a meteoritic blade, it plunged into my skin, twisting and slicing, digging deeper into my bones. Both putrid Gods laughed as they dug for their treasure. I knew what they wanted and there was no way I would let them have it.”

Hot jolts of fury overtook Raijen’s entire core as he listened to the exsquisite creature.

“I will kill them!. How could they even consider hurting you Amaunet?.” The fear and pain was evident, grasping Amaunet’s hands too tightly, searching her dark sapphire eyes, he could see the tears pool on the edge of her sleek eyelids, almost breaking their dam.

Clearing her throat, Amaunet continued her cruel tale.

“I eventually managed to struggle my wings free, flying blindly for a few minutes before they had hold of me again, yanking my wings down, gripping me like a vice. They were flying with me, tearing at my flesh, trying to force me back down to the ground to finish what they started. Both fetid Gods enraged that I had tried to break free.”

“They now flew me to the forbidden portals, my eyes still blindfolded, yet I could feel the pull of the forbidden fields extraordinary power. The two ‘monsters’ forced me to open one of theses portals, a gateway to Earths galaxy. I will explain this more in time Raijen, these portals are very complex.”

“I was thrown into blackness, I could feel and smell the air changing, we had broken through Azure-Alkun’s crisp stratosphere and had entered the freezing air of space.” Amaunet took a huge gulp of air before she continued.

“I am not sure what happened then, except a great wind whipped in from nowhere, roaring beyond measure. The sound so fearsome sticky blood began to trickle from my ears. The next thing I knew, I was in a vacuum, the freezing air around me thickened, my blindfold had been torn from my eyes, the force ripping the material, yet I was still in near darkness.”

“I felt fear swarm over the foul Gods, then I heard them scream. A black inky sludge gripped every fibre inside me, tearing between my very essence, trying desperately to consume me from the inside out. Shesmu’s iron grip loosened, immediately wrenching my body from his and fell, I was alone now, spinning inside this thick suffocating vortex.”

“After quite some time, I do not know how long, I managed to rip my wrists free from their ties and force my hands to my ears, the sound was so intense I thought my head would explode. I was spinning head first throughout time, the space around me folding as I fell. The blackness swelled around me, then from nowhere it exploded into colour. I could see billions of planets, suns, moons, asteroids, dust and particles. I was moving faster than possible, warping throughout space, not having a clue where I would end up, it could have been anywhere in the ever expanding cosmos.”

“Then to my horror, icy hands clawed my ankles, I kicked into the spinning black void, yet they still managed to grasp my flesh. I could smell the putrid evil coming from his skin, the scent filling the dense air around me. We fell for what felt like a lifetime, folding between the nothingness, they were so desperate for my Chaos, oblivious to their own fate.”

“I saw the hint of a blade, Shesmu quickly grabbed my wrist, Am-heh now joining him, pinning me hard against his foul body. They tore into my gaping flesh, the pain exquisite, black speckles blurred my vision,....They..... .” Amaunet’s voice dropped then, Raijen barely heard her next few words.

“They tried to steal it from me Raijen.” Raijen leaned closer to Amaunet, stroking the pale hair from her eyes.

“What did they try and steal Amaunet?.” Terrified to know what her answer may be, Amaunet was visibly trembling with fear, sweat pooling upon her brow.

“They tried to take my ‘Rib of Chaos’,....Am-heh tore his fingers into my shredded flesh, snapping my rib, trying to rip it clean from its cage,........although they could not break it free, yet it has snapped within me,...... I do not know what I am going to do.” She broke then, tears flooded down her cheeks and dripped onto Raijen’s brawny arms.

He had no idea what she meant by her ‘Rib of Chaos’, only that it had been broken, nonetheless whatever it was he knew it was vital to Amaunet and that was all that mattered.

Smoothing his huge arms around her small frame, Amaunet snuggled onto Raijen’s lap, letting her tears freely fall over his bare muscled chest, holding her close, stroking her fair hair, hushing her until each harsh tear had slowed to a quieter stream.

“I’m so sorry Raijen, it must be very confusing for you, this wouldn’t be making much sense to you at all.”

Raijen handed Amaunet a flax cloth, she wiped her eyes and nose, looking up at him, smiling. Her deep blue oceans swirled into life, her tears now dried to salt upon her flawless skin.

“It is all very confusing, but I’m sure I will learn it all in time. These Gods that nearly killed you, they are here in Otamia, they need to be found......They must pay Amaunet!.” Raijen’s hands flew to hers, gripping them too hard.

“I would like to understand more of your rib and of Chaos.” Perplexed by what Amaunet had said, these fetid Gods had tried to take something from inside her, they had gone to great lengths to try and rip her rib from its cage, crushing her with grief and terror.

Climbing from Raijen’s lap, Amaunet again sat facing him, crossed legged on his bed. She trailed her elegant fingers up his muscled arm and onto his chest, burning into his already heated skin, tracing her fingertips over his heart and looked directly into his large, light eyes.

“I am very much like you Raijen, although I am ancient, timeless. I am immortal, a Goddess, but I can die, I can be killed. What Shesmu and Am-heh tried to slice from my flesh was my ‘Rib of Chaos’. It is the one rib that Chaos gifted myself and the other seven primordial Deities with when the universe came into being. This one rib is not the same as the rest of my bones, my other bones are pretty much the same as yours, yet much stronger. The power in which this one rib can wield should never be used by anyone but me, it is uniquely coded only to me.”

“The foul Gods used me to open a portal here, only Chaos herself or one of the eight Divine can open the portals back on Azure-Alkun, I do not know why they have taken me here.”

Raijen listened carefully to Amaunet’s cruel tale.

“I will try not to confuse you, I’m not sure what you know of the Gods and the cosmos.” Clearing her throat, Amaunet spoke softly.

“Chaos created everything from nothing, turning the inky black nothingness into what you see around you today. She is the one true creator of the ever expanding cosmos. Chaos flew amid the nothingness and gave life to the darkness, creating infinite galaxies filled with billions of suns, planets, moons, and many other celestial objects. Everything that Chaos creates flows precisely within the universe.”

“There are so many galaxies out there now, there are trillions upon trillions and Chaos cannot stop, creating more magnificence as she infinitely swells.”

“These beginning occurred over 14 billion years ago and in that moment Chaos wrote her testament and each law became absolute. Chaos crammed this mind bending knowledge inside a unique gem, the Alzphaeta Diamond. Unfortunately the devastating gem split in two, Chaos hid one half on Azure-Alkun, deep beneath a tremendous ice mountain, guarded by an extraordinary ice serpent. The other half flew endlessly throughout space, lost for all time, yet I can feel it, I felt it the moment I awoke on your lands. I know it lies somewhere beneath Otamia.”

Taking in a deep breath, Amaunet continued, Raijen sat quietly, listening intently to her every word.

“Loneliness rippled amid the cosmos, Chaos was inconsolable, she had lost half of her precious gem, however from this deep sadness she crushed the laws of physics, twisted the fate and created sweet life.”

“The very first of the Primordial Deities was then born, The God of Light, her very first intelligent life.”

“A magnificent winged God floated before his creator, he spread his immense silver wings by his sides, surrounded in a bright silver light. Chaos embraced her new creation, embodying him in her infinite arms.”

“I am the second born of the Primordial Deities, I am the Goddess of Obscurity. My role is to keep things hidden that need hiding throughout the infinite time.”

“Temu is the first of the Primordial Deities, he is the God of Light.” Amaunet now spoke of Temu, he was the great Sun God the Otamian’s worshipped, Raijen quickly cut in before she could continue.

“Did you say Temu, Amaunet?....He is the God all Otamian’s worship, his temple is over the far side of the mountain, North of the Nile.”

You could see the shining stone-cap of the huge pyramid from the peak of Otamia’s great mountain, Amaunet wouldn’t have noticed it on her few visits outside.

Sitting straight up, Amaunet large eyes widened, her mind sparking in confusion.

“Temu is the God you worship?.”

Raijen nodded, “Yes Amaunet, Temu has been worshipped here for thousands of years, he built the great pyramid, the temple of the sun.”

“Please Raijen, you must take me to Temu’s temple.” Grasping his warm large hands, Amaunet pleaded with him in confusion.

Both Raijen and Amaunet swung their heads towards his cave door as a rapid knock now rung throughout his cavern, Amaunet didn’t need to be told, immediately letting go of his hands and concealing herself in a small alcove amid jugs of mead and crates of fruit.

She could have easily dissolved into the shadows if her rib was not broken, able to obscure her whole essence, disappear into dust and hide wherever she desired.

Rapidly, Raijen moved to his door and opened it a crack. Rakim stood in the doorway, quickly he ushered him inside.

“Maia has sent me, the strangers have made their way onto our lands, they appear to be injured and are hiding in the caves on the other side of the grasslands. Kaija and Kaiya are keeping watch on the caves as we speak.” Rakim bowed before nervously looking around his cave.

“Thank you Rakim, I hope Maia told you not to tell Araphel?, it is very important we keep this to ourselves for now.”

Rakim looked worried, yet nodded.

“I have not told your father Raijen, Maia made me swear on Temu’s tomb not to. I would never break my word.”

“You keep watch on the caves with Kaija and Kaiya, I will replace Lykus and meet you and the girls there.” Raijen ordered, Rakim bowed yet again and abruptly left his cave.

Amaunet glided out from the shadows and stood before him.

“The strangers on your lands would be Shesmu and Am-heh, I need to replace them Raijen, their evil mustn’t spread over these beautiful lands!.”

Vigorously shaking his head, Raijen spoke.

“You cannot possibly face these putrid souls in your condition Amaunet!, the injury to your side is horrific!, you must stay here hidden.....I will replace Lykus and form a plan.” Raijen had already opened his cave door.

“Please be careful Raijen and promise me you won’t approach these foul Gods, they are extremely dangerous.”

“I will return as soon as I can and figure out what we are to do. Please hide if you hear anything Amaunet, I am worried about my father, there is something not quite right going on.”

A dark storm began to swell inside Amaunet’s irises, Raijen could see it as clear as a crisp winters night. Bowing then, he abruptly left his cave before she could say another word.