Jannah looked at Ra furiously as the beatings began. The figure in a long cloak adorned with glittery fabric and jewels Jannah didn't even know names of. And then, there was this famous face of his. It was made of a shiny bronze coloured metal, which looked more artificial than Godly. It never moved. Showed no expressions.
But there was no doubt of the fact that Ra was godly. The air around him was godly. The way he carried himself, was Godly, even if his presence was as rare as the lunar eclipse of all the moons of Abydos.
Jannah felt disgusted with this tyrant. Not only was he merciless but heartless as well. He had no pain on his face, no anger either.
Jannah finally couldn't take it anymore. She hustled through the crowd, moving ahead. Her heart was racing. She could run away to home right now. But it was too late when she screamed, "Stop!"
There wasn't one single gasp. The gasps came out all together. That's why it seemed like a single one. Ra, before this, was looking at the people who were getting punished. He still was looking at them. Until people looked at him with fright that could end their lives. He turned his head slowly towards this childish yet powerful voice.
He didn't say a word. Jannah had often wondered if he was mute. He never said a word. Only his guards spoke whatever they had to.
Suddenly, a guard ferociously hurried towards the crowd, like a hungry animal running after its feast. Most of the crowd backed away in fear, seeing the big weapon in his hand. It looked like a spear. Except, it fired. So he raised that weapon and fired towards the crowd.
Jannah wasn't saved by anyone. No one came forward and pulled her hand to make her run away. She wasn't sure if people knew it was her who screamed. But everyone knew her voice. Those standing near her, had seen her at least. And they ran away the moment guards started approaching them. Jannah was left behind. Her instinct told her to run, look for her father or at least Misuk. But this was not her purpose. She stood their, frozen as children were snatched away by their mothers. She was standing out in the crowd, finally, in her shabby poor appearance.
"Who is this girl?" A guard kept his weapon on Jannah's neck and screamed desperately. The horror was for real. She was going to die today. She didn't expect everything to happen so radically. She underestimated the madness of the guards.
"Who is this girl!?" The guard asked for the person who carried her responsibility. But did it matter? Jannah had approached the age, eighteen years. The ripe age to get married and becoming responsibility of a stranger, everyone told her. But right now, she was her father's responsibility. She turned her head slightly, hoping her father would show up. She didn't know if he'd beg for forgiveness and make her do the same but she needed the slightest hope that her life would be saved.
The guard kicked Jannah down and put the sole of his shoe on her head, and then pointed his weapon on her head.
"Who are you?" He rubbed the sole on her head.
This was the moment she realised, she was her own responsibility.
"I'm Jannah Vsrut Alkaha! And I oppose Ra!!" She said, looking at Ra sharply.
There was no commotion when she said that. She knew she said this in the loudest and clearest volume possible. She even heard the echo of her voice going in all directions. Everything appeared very dramatic right now. Because, it was dramatic.
Again, there was no emotion on the face of the Lord. This disturbed Jannah. She hated waiting.
"What did you, say?" The guard fumed and kicked her hard in her back. It felt so painful that Jannah wished her organs didn't bleed internally. She wished she wouldn't die yet. She wanted to show Ra that there was someone who didn't fear him.
Ra moved his head slightly, upwards. It would have gone unnoticed from far away but everyone was observing his actions. He moved his arm up, and pointed out a finger which was made of a long metallic nail like structure.
"Bring her here!" He finally spoke. His voice. Jannah shuddered at it. It was inhuman. It was outworldly. It distantly sounded Godly, but it was indeed godly. It was made of the same metal his face and fingers were made of.
The guards, two, surrounding Jannah pulled her up. Jannah realised that if they told her to walk to Ra, she wouldn't have been able to. Her stomach and back hurt too much. She looked at the guard who had hit her with disgust. They threw Jannah to Ra's feet. They were made of metal as well, apparently.
Jannah hardly moved herself when her face was grabbed. It was pulled up with strength and she was forced to look at that metallic face. They eyes were shining white. The metal was shining in the sun like the golden desert. There were intricate carvings on that face. If this wasn't the situation, she would have been tempted to touch that face. To feel those carvings. But Jannah, only thought about getting out of the clasp of this monster. She struggled by moving her face but it didn't move. His fingers were too powerful.
"What did you say?" He asked her with that thick metallic voice. But then, he left her face to her relief. But before she could move her head, she realised it was fixed. She couldn't stop looking at him. Her head was out of her control. So were her legs. She couldn't stand up. Nor could she move her hands. Her palms rigidly lied against the sandy floor in front of his throne and her shins were pressed against the same land. She looked like a slave asking for forgiveness desperately.
"What did you say?" He repeated himself, looking back at the crowd, to show that he couldn't be disobeyed, no matter what.
The rigidity in Jannah's body was toxic. It felt like poison running through her veins. But the worst part was her head hurting as if a thousand needles had been poked inside. She wanted to scream with that amount of pain. Still, she tried resisting that force in her body. That strange force, whose source she didn't know. She fought it. And before that God could mock her, she said confidently,
"I oppose Ra!"
And that figure in front of her, looked back at her.
She started standing, shakily, almost falling. But she did stand up. Her figure rose above that of Ra. But before she could continue standing, Ra took her face again in his hands and pulled her closer, "Not for long!" The hate in his voice shook every inch of her body.
He looked around himself and ordered, "Imprison her!"
"You're going to kill me, aren't you? But remember that, there was this one person who couldn't fear you. Who couldn't obey you. And even death can't make this person accept defeat!" Jannah said madly as the guards took her away. The adrenaline rush in her body, which warned her of the upcoming death, gave her all the power she needed to show her opposition. She would die a martyr, a brave person, she told herself.
She didn't know how many people would be proud of her. Maybe, no one. But at least, there was one hero who stood up against evil. Even if she didn't win.
