"This place is beautiful," Ankha said, as she walked through the Museum of African American History in the City of Atlanta, Georgia, with her lover, Jesslyn Collier. The two female Blood Drinkers came to the Museum the moment it got dark, and thusly safe for them to exit their new Lair, a stately mansion located within walking distance of Spelman College.
It was Jesslyn's decision to move to the City of Atlanta, Georgia, because she'd grown up in a so-called Chocolate City, and liked being surrounded by her own people. Ankha had a lot to learn about the twenty-first century and its strange racial politics, but the 2700-year-old Nubian female Blood Drinker was learning quickly.
Ankha had been appalled to learn that much of the history of the ancient Africans was lost. The modern world knew a lot about the Romans and Greeks, and a bit about the Assyrians and Babylonians, the Maya, the Aztecs and even the ancient Hebrews, but they knew next to nothing about the great Nubian Kings and Queens of old, Rulers of the mightiest Kingdoms of the ancient African world.
As much as Ankha despised the long-dead King Shebitku of Nubia and his Queen Arty for entombing her for so many centuries, she often missed the Nubian Empire, her home. Ankha remembered days spent training with the fighting men and women who made up the Royal Guard of the Royal Palace of Napata City, sacred dwelling of the Nubian Kings.
Closing her eyes, Ankha remembered, and thusly found herself temporarily out of the modern-day City of Atlanta, Georgia, and transported twenty seven centuries into the past, into the seventh century before the advent of Jesus Christ. While Ankha languished in her Tomb, the beautiful and powerful ancient African nation that was her home vanished beneath the sands of time. Nevertheless, Ankha could never forget where she came from...
The Kingdom of Nubia, the fabled Land of Gold, whose wealth and power made that of the almighty Egyptians pale by comparison. Nubia, whose Kings had armies that could have wiped out many powers of the ancient world if they so wished. Nubia, whose garrisons used domesticated lions and domesticated elephants as weapons of war against their enemies. How could the world ever forget such a powerful people? Ankha wondered.
The people of Nubia had always been innovative, that was pretty much the source of their strength. Much of Nubia was desert country, with the fertile lands close to the Nile under control of their eternal rivals, the people of Egypt. The Egyptians had it easy, the Nubians did not, and it forced them to use their intelligence and resourcefulness to achieve wonders.
Long before the Egyptians build those gigantic pyramids of theirs, the people of Nubia built them, as final resting places for their Kings, Queens, noblemen and noblewomen. They also built pyramid-like structures to honor their deities. The people of Nubia made the African desert work for them, digging into its soil for gold and rare, precious stones, thus increasing their wealth and purchasing power.
Merchant ships from the Kingdom of Nubia went into West Africa, and acquired everything from silk to spices and exotic oils and even fearsome beasts from the locals. They carefully traded with the Egyptians, with both Kingdoms forever trying to outdo the other in terms of technology and achievement. It was a friendly rivalry that was anything but friendly...
In terms of military might, the Nubians were often a step ahead of the Egyptians due to their innovation. Rendered lazy by their easy access to water and fertile lands, the Egyptians built a strong army but it remained the same century after century. In the Kingdom of Egypt, the wealthy nobles and the Pharaohs allowed the poorest sons of the nation to be virtually drafted into the army.
In the Kingdom of Nubia, every man, woman or brat was expected to learn how to fight. Men and women were proficient in the use of the sword, spear and axe. The Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Nubia remained all-male until the arrival of legendary King Piye, who began integrating it by first allowing female Archers, and then female Lancers, and eventually female Riders. In the ancient world, no one had ever done this before...
"Every son and daughter of Nubia must be ready to lay down his or her life for the Kingdom, I ask you the same thing I expect of myself," King Piye said, speaking to the assembled nobles at the Meeting Hall of the Royal Palace in Napata City. Ankha's father Ashten, as a senior military official was in attendance, and she happened to be with him as the King gave his famous speech.
Father and daughter had ridden an elephant on their way to the Royal Palace of Napata City. Long before the Carthaginians ever got the idea to use war elephants, Nubians had perfected the system for the capture, breeding and training of these magnificent beasts. Ankha remembered her father Ashten, once the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Nubia, second in power only to the King and Queen of Nubia, taking her on a ride on an elephant.
"In this world, order is everything, for both man and beast," Commander Ashten said to his daughter as they rode his favorite war elephant, the stoic old Ruda, during a trip from the outskirts of Napata City to the beautiful Royal Palace. Ankha, who was but a young woman at the time, held tightly onto her father and marveled at the older man's absolute command of the magnificent beast.
"One day, father, I want to ride an elephant into battle," Ankha said enthusiastically, and Ashten laughed and nodded. My daughter has a fiery spirit, the old Nubian military man thought proudly. Ankha was eighteen years old, and a time when most young women were concerned with their upcoming nuptials, she showed very little interest in anything other than matters of war.
"Ankha, my dearest daughter, you have the heart of a warrior, when your mother Khanaka was pregnant with you, the Gods rest her soul, I prayed for a son but got you, a daughter stronger than most people's sons," Ashten said, laughing. Ankha looked at her father and hugged him fiercely, overcome with love for this stoic, taciturn but wonderful man who meant so much to her.
Ankha's older brother Jarok chose to become a Scribe, a learned man who worked in the Royal Archives of Nubia at the City of Meroe, rather than following in their father Ashten's footsteps and becoming a soldier. Although Ashten never discussed the matter with Ankha, she could tell that her father was disappointed in her brother.
