The wind rustled. The chief astrologist pulled his cloak onto himself tightly: "All the symbols are in place, sire." He said as he pointed to the top of the tower. Nimrod nodded: "Excellent."

He looked at the twelve letters lined on a belt around the peak of the tower or "Ziggurat" as the Babylonians called it. As a safety precaution, Nimrod didn't trust anyone to see the true form of the first twelve letters, so he had to subordinate them. And the new symbols didn't glow.

"Sire, I've never doubted you. And truly, you've taught me the power that these strange letters can do to foretell the future, with that knowledge that I'll forever cherish and I'm ever indebted to you. But I pray tell me, what your purpose be, in lining up the letters in like thus fashion on top of the highest tower in Babel?"

"Patience" Nimrod nodded. "You will witness wonders that will be recalled in history for ever. And will indeed, cast a new light into the world. But in due time, my friend. In due time."

The veiled woman opened the door to the blacksmith shop. The hammer slammed on the blade and the smith looked up. He smiled, revealing dull yellow teeth and slammed the blade again. "I want you to make something for me." She said under her silky mouth cover.

The smith smiled: "I accept payment of copper, silver, gold, and a good time in bed." He laughed.

"Hold your tongue you filthy rat." She said as she revealed her face.

The smith's eyes widened so much that they hurt. He fell on his knees: "My Queen! Forgive me! For I am a man married to my work and…" Semiramis interrupted him: "Silence! I am in need of your services. And I hear you're the best blacksmith in Babel ." He nodded: "But of course, my liege lady! Anything you want, I make: Horseshoes, mechanical parts, anything that is of metal."

"I need a spade." She said. The man frowned: "A shovel?" She shook her head. "No. A spear with a broad head. As a speared sword."

He thought then frowned again: "My lady. You have to understand. A sword is a sword, and a spear is a spear. Swords are made for close-combat and spears are made to throw."

She clasped her hands: "Haven't you heard it when the great Nimrod himself marveled at me for my unmatched skills with the spear? Have you not heard it, when I slay a deer last hunting season, by walking unto it face to face and piercing its heart?"

He nodded: "That I heard."

He thought deeply. He brought out a piece of papyrus and a small piece of coal then drew a spear with a pointy edge in the bottom and a broad two-edged blade on top. "How's this? The bottom is pointy for being thrown, and the top is broad. Thus with this spade, you can pierce lions as a spear and cut bears as a broad sword. Hunting, is what you need to use it for, I am assuming."

She had a wide grin on her lips. "Hunting. Indeed, my dirty friend."

She threw him a bag of gold: "Four days and four nights." She said.

He opened the bag and dropped the gold coins on his table: "I give it to you in four days and three nights!" He laughed hysterically. "Finally, I can retire." He thought to himself.

She started walking out then suddenly flung a dagger at the table. The smith gasped. "You tell no one. NO ONE, that the spear is for me nor that I was even in your shop. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my lady." He bowed.

It was night time, in a far away land.

Semiramis walked slowly across the hallway. She wore a long and flowing grey gown, the sleeves extended beyond her hands and floated freely as she walked.

She looked at the columns and frowned as she saw the unfamiliar and strange markings and inscriptions. Yes it was Sumerian, but she could not understand it. That is strange because, even though it is not her native language, she was a quick learner, and it only took her a few years to learn the language of the people she came to rule… But these letters, it's as if they represented the precursor language to Sumerian!

As she walked, she could see statues, sinister statues of hideous creatures, their faces were wrinkled and ugly. And their eyes, they glowed with a steady red light.

Semiramis shivered; it was cold as well.

She heard a crash. She stopped and looked behind her. It was misty, she couldn't see anything. She continued walking and came to a door. Semiramis is a hard person to scare; she has a warm, but strong heart, so she didn't hesitate to open the door.

She looked inside and saw darkness. There was a staircase that lead downwards. She took careful steps down, her heart beating with excitement, oh how delicious the feeling of curiosity was, she thought.

"Semiramis" she heard a female voice calling from the bottom of the seemingly endless staircase. "Who are you?" She asked, wondering if she spoke loud enough to be heard. Immediately she thought it could be her mother. Semiramis never knew who her mother was… When she was born, she had a necklace with the image of a dove engraved into it but she never knew what it meant. When she asked her father, he shrugged. In fact, she doubted that her "father" was her real fraternal parent. But she didn't care about that, her father was a philosopher and a martial arts expert, and she learnt a lot from him, especially two important things: Poetry and Survival.

She reached the bottom.

It was a gate, tall, large and made of copper. She looked around her and saw eyes staring. But they were just eyes, with no bodies.

"Come" another female voice called. Semiramis looked behind the gate and saw a beautiful woman. Her skin was dark as if it were scorched by the sun. "Thank you." Semiramis found herself saying. And as she stepped through the gate that the gatekeeper opened, she closed in to kiss her forehead in gratitude, but instead found herself drawn to her dark luscious lips, and she kissed them instead.

The gatekeeper nodded as she softly touched Semiramis' cheek and whispered: "She awaits you."

For a strange and peculiar reason, Semiramis found herself at home in this strange place. One thing was for sure, she didn't know where she was, or who she was going to, but she knew that she was close to discovering who she really was.

She shut her eyes as she walked across the path, she heard a million voices, and they were all around her, talking, conversing. She couldn't make out any words; moreover, there was no emotion in whatever it is they spoke. Her nose caught a scent. It smelt like burnt apples.

She looked around. She could now make out people. They were women, thousands and thousands, seated in pairs and in couches; she determined it to be some kind of council. But a council of what? She looked down and realized that the path has now turned to a red carpet. With each step she took she shut her eyes in ecstasy as an amazing feeling of euphoria filled her. She looked up ahead and saw an oak throne, tall and majestic. The top had the face of an owl, to its right was the engraving of a bright sun and to its left was the engraving of a crescent moon. She gasped as she started floating in the air, steadily towards the throne. She didn't know whether she was physically floating or whether she felt like she was floating because of the intense feeling of euphoria that literally made her feel as light as a feather.

The woman sitting on the throne turned towards Semiramis and smiled. She stood up. Her skin was bronze, her eyes... Her eyes were a strange color, and she never thought such a color existed. It was a splash of violet, green and hazel, or maybe just those three colors blended in together. They were heavenly. She couldn't help but rever this woman's origins, whatever or wherever that was. She had long black hair and she noticed that her breasts were not covered.

As the woman walked closer to her, Semiramis realized that the voices around her began to sing. It was a beautiful and alleviating song. In fact, it made her blood course and her heart beat faster. But now she felt something else, she felt special. That's because, of all the people sitting in the council, she was honored enough to be standing in front of this woman, this queen, this ruler.

"Oh how beautiful you are. Just like your mother." The woman said.

Semiramis woke up from her dream soaking with sweat.

"Oh God." She exclaimed as she wiped the mixture of tears and sweat off her face. She looked next to her to see if she woke Nimrod up but he wasn't in bed. She looked outside the window and calculated the time with the position of the stars. It was close to sunrise, where was Nimrod?

She stood up and walked towards the large barrel of cinnamon water and drank a ladle-full.

She stepped outside to the balcony and walked down the artificial garden. She strained to see the dark man standing near the ledge and made out the shimmering of the Sar'anbar, which he held with his right hand.

"Ki-an?" She called out to her beloved in his adopted language.

"Semiramis. What are you doing up? Go back to bed." Nimrod called back.

Semiramis walked closerear the ledge and made out the shimmering of the Sar'. "I had a bad dream. I dreamed I was… Uhh.. Never mind. Why aren't YOU in bed?"

Nimrod sighed.

She stepped in front of him then leaned her back against his chest. He sighed and wrapped his left arm around her waist, pulling her body closer to his. They looked northeastwards towards the Ziggurat.

 "I am sorry if I upset you today for asking about Cain." She said.

"That is the least of my worries." He replied.

"So something does worry you. What is it, my love?" She asked.

"Ki-an…. Ki-an, my life's an empty vessel. Yes I am proud to have this world under my feet, and you to wake up to in the mornings to. But I am not happy..." He explained.

Semiramis interrupted him: "But darling, we've tried to have a child, but I guess I am not meant to bear children." She lamented. "If it's another wife you seek, and if that will make you happy…"

"NO!" He shouted. "I'm not worried about who'll take over my kingdom after I die. I know I have a long life ahead of me before I start worrying about that. After all, though I lost count, I'm almost six hundred years old. And I feel as healthy as ever."

"Darling. What about me? I am not immortal like you. Can I be…?"

"You can't!" He shouted. But instead of looking sad, for some mysterious reason, Semiramis smiled to herself, without Nimrod noticing.

"That's ok, Nimrod. I'll just wait until I age and die, then you can continue without me, and find another wife that can bear you children whenever you want."

Nimrod nodded. "Yes, that's how life is, my darling."

Semiramis walked away and in her native Bactran tongue mumbled: "Not if I can help it."

"What was that?" Nimrod asked.

"I said, good night, my darling." She replied.

As she walked away he grabbed her hand. "You didn't wait for me to answer your question." She blinked, and then sighed. "What will make you happy?"

"Facing Him and getting an answer for why he murdered the children of Cain."

Semiramis' heart skipped a beat.

"Then, dethroning Him, and taking His place, as the King of Heaven."

Semiramis hesitated for a moment then said: "God's not the King of Heaven."

Nimrod frowned. "What?"

"God is the God of Heaven (An), not the King of Heaven (Sar-an). If you want to dethrone God, his throne is beyond Heaven."

Nimrod was shocked at Semiramis.

Semiramis pointed at the Ziggurat. "That tower may open the gates of Heaven in four years time, but you need to look higher if you want to reach God."

Nimrod smashed her head against the hilt of the sword, and she fell to the grassy ground in sheer pain.

"I don't know if I should take that as a blasphemy against ME or a blasphemy against God himself, but don't EVER question my plans." He screamed, the veins of his neck throbbed with his vented anger.
Semiramis looked at him from the ground with fuming bitterness.

Nimrod sheathed his sword. "I have studied and planned this for hundreds of years, then a puny woman comes along and tells me I don't know what I'm talking about? What an insult to Nimrod the Soul-catcher."

He walked towards the bedroom.

"You may be immortal, but you are STILL human!" She shouted at him.

"What's your point?" Nimrod asked.

Semiramis was quiet.

"Exactly. Nothing. That's what you are without me. Don't ever forget that, woman." Nimrod said and slammed the bedroom door behind him.

Semiramis breathed fast as her anger circulated inside her.

"You will pay for disrespecting me, Nimrod. You will pay, someday. THAT, I shall never forget."

(Concluding...)