The Tale of Neferet, the Star-Gazer
Under the glow of a thousand stars, Neferet knelt atop the towering ziggurat, her silhouette carved against the endless Sumerian night. Her dark skin shimmered as if the stars themselves had blessed her, and her long ebony braids were woven with golden beads that jingled softly in the midnight breeze. Her robes, a cascade of deep azure trimmed with silver thread, mirrored the night sky, and the delicate silver sandals on her feet gleamed faintly, as though dipped in moonlight. Neferet’s amber eyes, luminous and sharp, were set with a peculiar determination as she studied the constellation she had named "Enkana," after the wandering god of the unknown. Tonight, the stars whispered secrets, and Neferet was their chosen interpreter.
Not far away, the great city of Ur buzzed softly with life. Its canals glimmered like veins of liquid silver under the moonlight, and the air carried the faint hum of lutes and tambourines. But at this sacred height, Neferet was alone—a silent sentinel between realms. The people below revered her, the High Astronomer of Ur, whispering tales that she could speak with the gods themselves. In the quiet recesses of her mind, Neferet often wondered if those whispers were half true.
The Omen in the Stars
Moments later, the ground trembled faintly beneath her feet, subtle enough to escape most notice but undeniable to Neferet. She looked sharply at the constellation once more. Enkana’s brightest star, Niru, was missing. In its place, the void lingered black, like an unfathomable chasm tearing through the heavens. Niru’s disappearance was impossible—it had watched over Ur for centuries, immutable as the tides of the Euphrates. For such a star to vanish, it could only mean one thing: the gods were displeased.
Neferet’s brow furrowed, and she clutched the lapis lazuli pendant hanging around her neck. It was warm—too warm. A soft breeze stirred her robes as she rose to her full height, a slender and statuesque figure crowned by the heavens. She descended the ziggurat with purpose, aware that the answers she sought might come from something older even than the stars themselves.
An Ancient Task
By first sunlight, Neferet found herself before the Temple of Ereshkigal, Goddess of the Underworld. Unlike the Ziggurat of Nanna, built of sun-dappled sandstone, this sanctuary crouched low to the earth, carved from obsidian and perpetually shrouded in shadows. Its double doors loomed, flanked by basalt statues of winged lions that seemed almost alive. Neferet steeled herself and pushed the heavy doors open. The dark engulfed her.
Inside, the air was cool and heavy with the smell of damp stone. Only the faintest light filtered through narrow openings high above. Before her stood Sumuhen, the temple’s aged priest. His leathery skin, woven with wrinkles deep as the cracks in a baked riverbed, seemed to absorb what little light there was. He wore the dull, grey robes of his station, but his eyes gleamed with an unearthly clarity.
"You saw it," he rasped, his voice like paper rippling in fire. "The void where Niru once burned."
Neferet nodded, her hand instinctively clutching her pendant. "What does it mean, Sumuhen? Why have the heavens been wounded?"
Sumuhen gestured for her to follow, leading her down a spiraling staircase that plunged into the bowels of the temple. The walls were etched with flickering glyphs that danced in the faint torchlight. At the base of the stairs lay a stone chamber. In its center sprawled a circular pit filled with dark, rippling liquid—an ancient well of divine origin.
"The shadows whisper of a forgotten god," Sumuhen murmured, kneeling by the pit. "Long before Enlil parted the skies or Anu rose to rule the ether, there was one who walked beneath the stars. The Forgotten One. The star's disappearance heralds Its return. And It does not come alone—it brings ruin."
Neferet knelt beside him, her pulse drumming in her ears. "If this is true, what must I do to protect Ur?" she demanded. "Surely, the gods must have left us some defense."
Sumuhen hesitated before plunging his hand into the dark liquid. When he lifted it out, his palm bled, but the blood rearranged itself into intricate patterns—runes of ancient power. "Ancient rituals hold the key," he said, his voice tightening. "You, Neferet, must journey far beyond Ur, deeper into the cradle of the world, and into the desert's heart. There, lies the Silent Obelisk, carved by hands long since turned to dust. Within it, you will find the star’s essence—Niru itself. Only by rekindling Niru can the Forgotten One be stopped."
The Journey Into Dusk
The journey took Neferet across vast golden dunes, jagged cliffs, and ancient ruins swallowed by the desert sands. Her sandals bore cuts from sharp rocks, and her robes became frayed from endless wear. She carried only her star chart, her pendant, and a vial filled with water blessed by the priests of Ur.
By the time she reached the Silent Obelisk, her strength had dwindled, yet her resolve burned as brightly as ever. The obelisk towered against the burnt sienna sky, its sleek black surface inscribed with constellations long forgotten. It hummed faintly, resonating with her very heartbeat.
She pressed her hands against its cold, smooth surface, whispering incantations from the countless scrolls she had memorized. When the final word left her lips, the obelisk split open, revealing a pulsating, crystalline shard. It was Niru, the essence of the lost star.
The Final Sacrifice
As Neferet lifted the shard, the air trembled, and the ground beneath her feet splintered. A shadow fell over the desert—a form massive and unknowable. The Forgotten One had come. Its presence was a void, a swirling mass of darkness speckled with faint, writhing lights. It exuded dread, and by staring at it, one could feel their very essence eroding.
Neferet knew then what must be done. Clutching the shard, she lifted her pendant in her other hand. The two connected, and a blinding light erupted, clashing against the obsidian shadow. As the light consumed her, she closed her eyes, whispering a soft prayer. Her body became the vessel that reignited Niru, and her name would live on among the stars forever.
Legacy
In the nights to come, the people of Ur gazed at the sky and saw Niru shining once more, a steadfast beacon against the endless void. The goddess Neferet, the Star-Gazer, had ascended, her figure immortalized in paintings, epics, and tales whispered across generations.
Each time a child asked what the stars meant, the story of Neferet was told, a tale of sacrifice, courage, and the eternal light that even the darkest shadow could never extinguish.
Genre: Historical Fantasy
The Source...check out the great article that inspired this amazing short story: We were completely WRONG about mysterious starfish
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