| Fan Fiction |
by Aelk
“Say, why did you send your attendant out and requested for me to steal you?”
Shamash questioned Anzu as he gave her a piggyback ride due to her injured ankle from a fall while escaping. They were heading back to his shack, which has now moved from the grasslands to the feet of the snow-capped mountains now tinted with a little orange hue.
“Because… I need to catch a breather.”
Although she does not sound honest in her answer, it was a plausible excuse as well. From what he has heard from the others, she has to pray all day and night for the wellbeing of the people.
Audience with her required special arrangements, and she must remain unmarried for her entire life for fear of losing her powers.
“Seriously, you don’t have much freedom.”
Shamash said nonchalantly, as usual of his cold character.
“Hmph, I can count the number of friends you have with only my thumb and index finger.”
“That is…?”
Anzu formed a loop with her two fingers in question and the answer is obvious: Shamash does not have any acquaintances at all.
“Whatever. . . I would not have accepted this meaningless job if your attendant had not given me a pouch of golden coins.”
“That pouch of coins were from the monetary offerings donated by some corrupted officials, isn’t that what you wanted at first?”
Shamash turned his head to the other side and ignored her for a rather long moment. She kicked her feet in rebellion, but soon tired herself out.
“Her name is Aruru, my attendant that is. I’m no better than you… she is the only friend I have… ”
What about the gods you have been talking to? Shamash wanted to ask but he held back. A few days ago, he has heard about a disturbing rumor that the priestess has been hearing less and less of the gods’ voices.
And he wondered why.
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“Lady Anzu, it’s time for your first meal of the day.”
Two young priestesses-in-training knelt down with respect as they spoke timidly to the saint who was lying on a huge bed surrounded by translucent nets to conceal her real face.
As the two lift up their heads again for instructions, the sleeping figure back-facing them on bed merely revealed her right hand from the blanket and asked for them to leave.
“Even the holy priestess needs more rest sometimes,” the two young apprentices thought sympathetically as they bowed and took their leave.
Upon hearing the sound of the double doors closing, Aruru heaved a deep sigh of relief.
“Lady Anzu….” The doe-eyed personal attendant for the high priestess thought while trembling in the warm bedspread, “Please come back on time as you promised…!”
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“Look at this, look at this!!!”
Anzu dragged an unwilling Shamash along as they slithered through the noisy morning bazaar and kept pointing at pointless things to make a fuss about them. Although Shamash has called her to get some rest for her leg injuries to recover, she totally ignored him.
With that, he has no choice but to comply with his client.
“It’s just some eggs… Don’t tell me a priestess doesn’t eat them.”
“No, I can eat all sorts of things of course. It’s just that… my feelings were interwoven with the vendors around here. I can feel their joy of living and eagerness to pack up and get home at the end of the day.”
What? So she is not just someone who speaks to air sometimes. Shamash thought rudely as he sighed and allowed himself to be pulled hither and tether from shop to shop.
It was then he realized that the priestess is no more matured than him. In fact, she seemed to be a little younger.
The bazaar was filled with all sorts of people. The Humans sell wooden and metal craftworks carved with their creativity; the Juhnas sell accessories woven from hardy tree vines. The Giants were mostly blacksmith owing to their huge strength, while the Tartan merchants hail from the faraway desert to trade their exotic food and gems.
The Kurts were a proud race who refuses to open itself up for any trading and ties, and have thus secluded them from the world.
There were still some many other races present in this long and narrow marketplace. But there is one thing common in them: Harmony.
“This is a peaceful era; I wonder why the races are divided in Lilith’s?”
Anzu questioned the gods, but both Anu and Ishtar refused to answer her. She has been hearing less from them... Has something happened in the heavens as well?
Suddenly, a man cloaked in shades of black tugged Shamash’s sleeves lightly to make him notice him --- Looks like it’s time for business.
Anzu nodded reluctantly, and walked alone to a nearby craftsman’s workshop to admire the artisan’s works. He then took a nimble step and disappeared into a dark alley with the man.
“Be quick.”
“It’s rare to see you with a lady, shadow. Seems that you have finally…”
“Shut up. Just give me the location and item’s description.”
As Shamash snapped, he did not forget to throw the workshop Anzu is in another glance.
“Alright, alright. It’s a huge prey this time; the pay will be ten times the cost of the Goddess’ brooch you fetched three weeks ago.”
“Ten times?! That amount is enough to buy a whole piece of land!”
He was surprised at the payment he will receive, but deep in his heart, he also understands that it will surely be a dangerous job.
But it does not matter, he thought, as long as he is stealing away what was rightfully the citizens’… and also to protect his ‘family’.
“Listen, as what the High priestess Anzu’s prophecies have told, the gods have bestowed the humans with a special gift. We did not know what that was, until this invention came about. We request for you to steal this from the inventor”
“No, wait; this is not what we have agreed earlier! The inventor has the right to---”
“Shadow, you should know what will happen to ‘them’ if you refuse.”
The shady man glared cunningly at him and awaits his expected answer.
“…Alright.”
Shamash bit his lips and accepted the deal unwillingly.
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“Wow…”
Amongst all other items, Anzu picked up a handful of huge pearl-colored gems and admired it with huge eyes. Although the gems’ colors were crystal clear and had no flaws, they were still in their native shapes.
“You have good taste, lady. This gem is a one-in-a-million find.”
The artisan sitting on a chair nearby chiseling away a statue of god Anu turned back to attend to his customer.
”I have not seen it before, what is it?”
“Looks like you do know a little about precious stones. Unlike the common sapphires and rubies, these are legendary white azurite found only in the lands of Syan.”
The hundred and eight races of this world each established a kingdom of their own and ruled amongst themselves. Syan is deemed a holy race that had the abilities to foresee the near future. It is rumored that they are winged entities who find food and mathematics unnecessary as part of living.
“Even I have only seen them once through a special audience…”
Anzu murmured as she remembered the time when she first entered the Temple as a priestess and all races sent an ambassador each to celebrate the event because to all races, she is special.
“A traveller found these near the foot of the mountains leading to Syan and sold them to me. Would you like to have them made into ear rings for you and the boy you were with?”
Anzu knew what the artisan has misinterpreted. Really, she thought, craftsmen have sharp eyes indeed.
” … no… he is… oh well…”
She is not allowed to marry anyone.
“He is not your…? Forgive me; I thought you two looked good together.”
“Um… Maybe I’ll just buy it for myself~ Mister; I would like to make these two…”
Anzu beamed as she paid the artisan to make the rings out of the two Syan azurites she chose. True, that Shamash and her are just acquaintances, but…
“Help me carve a word on one of them, okay?”
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A/N
White Azurites = azurites with same composition as
the normal deep blue ones but some special element bleached its colours =_=;
My imagination has really gone haywire it seems XD.
term tests and exams coming in weeks' time,
and suffering from writer's block... may not update
next week (it depends on my tired brain XD)
-What was Shamash told to steal?
-Who's his 'family'?
-What word did Anzu carve on one of the rings which
we all know Azure/Shamash will later put on?
actually, the next chapter is ready =P