Finis Chaldea

[Bloodedge]

"Yes, truly. Are you surprised? How many have told you no in Camelot since you became king? Well, except Sir Lancelot. You get what I mean," the sorcerer rambled against any shock Artoria possessed. Those with power were not often questioned or rejected. Merlin himself had the ability to reject the idea of rejection itself, should he so choose. For one who lived the life of King Gilgamesh, as Merlin understood, it was almost as if the concept never even existed. It was somehow a point of irony that Artoria, of all people, would be the first to actually reject him. That had to be the painful part to deal with. Merlin would have nothing to say about the usefulness of his words under normal circumstances. He never said a thing to Artoria without purpose. Everything was projected in a way that developed the Queen of Camelot, whether she was conscious of it or not. "So then, I suppose you want guidance to the next grail when it appears? You don't seem very upset about being brought here, after everything's said and done~"

How strange. This woman, proclaimed as Hero and Queen by the world itself, knew not of the King of Heroes? Something was amiss in this world indeed. Something would have to be done. For now, the matter of greatest importance was solidifying the fourth possessor of a grail after its second war. She had more questions, so she would receive more answers. Of course, a disembodied heavenly voice would only provide so much information, knowing the rest would come naturally in time. "To become King, or to become Queen, is to command allegiance. Your King awaits you, my Hero. Go forth with confidence."

[Apollymi]

Was she surprised no one told King Gilgamesh no? Yes. While it made sense that he did as he pleased as King it didn't necessarily mean she figured literally every action both personal and courtly were allowed to stand. Still the outrage in Artoria was rather obvious, as her face shifted and Merlin quickly rambled past a mention of Sir Lancelot. "Lancelot, is without question the one most likely to speak out if he feels something is wrong. And then there is you who who never really tells me anything which I think still counts," she said giving it a bit more thought. "It is shocking on a personal level, he acts as if he has had acceptance for every action he has ever committed. He threw off his clothes in front of me as if getting naked would change my mind about accepting his advances..." she said. "It is shocking this is a tactic used by someone who is king. But at the same time is less shocking if he has never heard the words and have them hold the weight they are intended to," she said. Obviously, they were talking about two very different things. Artoria ruled without much contest so long as she was honorable, someone like Lancelot spoke out when he thought she was toeing the line of her honor by her actions, it was fair enough. The idea that Merlin thought that sort of no, and the sort she gave Gilgamesh were similar seemed alien to her. Maybe never getting a naysay was enough to entitle the belief in one's own righteousness regardless of the situation? She was giving it due consideration while still not understanding what such an action was supposed to accomplish.

At the same time, apparently Jeanne wouldn't be getting any more information out of her trip into the Nexus. It couldn't tell her about the King she was supposed to be seeking, it only made the claim that she would know. At least she got the comfort of knowing her own ascension meant she didn't owe anyone anything. Well, that wasn't entirely true, she would do what she could for her elder sister... given her help this day. "Alright, I suppose... still it's a bit confusing," she said knowing if she was confused there would likely be others confused. She'd do what she could to make sure her sister had less of a hard time with this situation. And whenever the Nexus released her she would disappear from here. She wondered what kind of exchange this was, but she figured they'd find out eventually.

[Bloodedge]

Of course Sir Lancelot was the most likely to speak against anything he believed was wrong. Of Artoria's knights, Lancelot would likely go on to become the most... brotherly, in a way. He would serve more dutifully than most other knights thought possible, while also holding his monarch to their own standards where possible. Now then, what was this? Artoria did not understand why the king's nudity being rejected was an even greater deal. "You were Japanese, weren't you? Those old Sumerian poems didn't become very popular in Japan, so I wouldn't blame you if you didn't understand. King Gilgamesh is two-thirds divine here, just as he was in the old tale. As much as I hate to admit it, he's even more of a perfect specimen than I am, by design alone. Chalk it up as another victory, I suppose? You turned down a 'heavenly body' or whatever it would be called."

Confusion when dealing with the Nexus was a fate that could be avoided by only one... or perhaps two? That time had not yet come, though it also came long, long ago. Time was always so influx, even the Nexus itself could not coordinate a proper timeline with the inhabitable world. At the very least, those who entered this place rightfully would always be guided along the proper path. "Do not worry. All will become clear... in Sanctuary." These were the final words shared with the Hero, the Queen of Saints, Jeanne D'Arc. With that, the light of this realm enshrouded the new Ruler to manifest her precisely where she'd been previously. The Holy Grail was to manifest again alongside her, emptied as it had been when she was transported, yet still exuding an unearthly power.

[Apollymi]

Merlin went on to explain more, but first he prefaced that she had been Japanese in her original life. Of course she had been, though admittedly she didn't look it, she was born and raised in Japan. Ah, but that didn't really matter, what did matter was that old Sumerian poetry didn't make its way into a normal curriculum. What would come of this, apparently her lack of knowledge of the partial divinity of the man known as Gilgamesh. This apparently matched up with his former story and much to Merlin's own chagrin made that blonde man a more perfect physical specimen than himself. He claimed she should take it as another win, being able to resist the pull of a heavenly body or whatever that meant. "Uh-huh... I do not know if I should take that as a victory of any sort, though I suppose it explains the outburst thereafter," she said giving it a bit of thought. How strange was it to turn your body into such a literal example of a weapon against the opposite sex? Beyond that, Merlin was oddly chatty right now, how strange. Well maybe all of this would need to be thought about in more detail later.

Ah in the meantime, Jeanne was left to think over the confusion she had because of the Nexus. Still, it claimed that all would be made clear in Sanctuary and that she had no need to worry. She'd never heard of Sanctuary before, so that was yet another thing she'd need to figure out. Regardless, she'd need to obtain land and create her country. To do this she'd need the knights to declare as Holy Knights, and she knew just the most trustworthy group to start with. Back where she'd left, the Holy Grail of hers in hand. She turned to her sister and smiled. "Eri-nee, when you talk to that thing don't get mad. It's pretty confusing," she warned first and foremost. "Alright, how did it go?" she asked seemingly excited on her sister's behalf. "Apparently I am the Queen of Saints. Also apparently we could have shared the Grail but we would have had to share the spoils, I don't think that would work for you though so I am fine with this outcome," she said and Artoria nodded her agreement. This was good information to have and now they could move towards greater goals.

[Bloodedge]

"Of course it is!" Merlin insisted. His finger jutted upwards, his grin grew, and his eyes closed. "Artoria Pendragon, Queen of Camelot, leader of the Round Table, Bane of the Saxons, Feller of Ancient Heroes, and now the Bruiser of Testosterone! At this rate, you'll have more titles than..." He paused. "Well... never mind. That one's a spoiler, and I hate spoilers. I think." As of late, there were strange moments in which Merlin's memories didn't line up with things that happened in the past. Strange as it was, he found himself unconsciously seeing futures that seemed quite distant. This recent week had been more intense than ever; maybe he was evolving a Skill!

Jeanne returned most elegantly, just as she'd departed. Her first words upon returning were, interestingly, a warning about the voice she interacted with on the other side. So, there was a voice? Merlin found this interesting to know. If only he could reach that plane of reality, he could learn much. Oh? Jeanne was already announcing her title as Queen of Saints, as seemed to be the case with those who interacted with the Holy Grail. Ah, if only he could get such a title for himself... but the one he'd fancy was taken prior to the grails' existence. Maybe he could become King of Seduction? Yes, that would be lovely! "Jeanne D'Arc, Ruler as Queen of Saints. Lucky for me, I'm not saintly; I wouldn't know who to guide between the two of you. Well then, what now? Onto the imaginary land in the skies, or does our new Ruler wish to take her time? I'm ever so curious~♥"

[Apollymi]

In Artoria's mind, Merlin was definitely having a lot of fun with his statements at hers and Gilgamesh's expense. Given the way he was, she could understand this to some extent but still it didn't make her do anything but scoff. "Fighting is fighting. I bruised no testosterone purposefully. And it is not like I am trying to collect titles either... it just seems to happen around me," she said giving a gentle nod. Of course, she didn't know she was about to gain another one in a very short while, but perhaps that didn't matter at all. Regardless of everything else, at least there was space to move now, which was about all she wanted. "You do not like spoilers, but you do see the future do you not? That power seems contradictory to your preferences," said Artoria. If that was the case, maybe this world was finally paying him back for being such an annoyance. Ah, that would be nice, righteous justice against the meddling mage known as Merlin.

Jeanne's return led to more of Merlin's ramblings. He apparently thought that if he'd had a better alignment that he would have had trouble choosing who to guide. Little did he know, that Artoria wouldn't allow him anywhere near her younger sister apart from a moment like this. Or she might actually break every rule of chivalry to wipe out his existence as wholly as she could. Those eyes of hers narrowed as she considered it one of many options for such a turnout. "Queen of Saints sounds about right, we did always say you were one..." mentioned Artoria, which had her younger sister blush only slightly. "But that was different. That was for like running errands, administrating jobs, and making sure you had a kit to clean your gun. That was hardly the work of a saint," she said still seeming sheepish. "You have no idea how much of a saint that makes you," Artoria continued. In all honesty her younger sister was without a doubt the saint she was purported to be. Still Jeanne looked off into space before replying to Merlin with a gentle shake of her head. "The angels say there is no way you could guide me. They wouldn't allow it..." she said giving a curt nod. Of course, there was the matter of what she wanted to do now. Immediate ascension or something else first. "Hm, I do not want to go up immediately. I would rather have a core group of knights indoctrinated first, and..." she was speaking her two index fingers tapping each other as she looked at Artoria. Such a strange habit she managed to keep. "Eri-nee... would you take care of the extra? I don't want untrained and lacking knights ending up with us. And you were always better at that part than me," the girl said. Artoria looked at her younger sister as it clicked home what she was asking. The Queen of Saints started the Holy Knights, but she had no taste for the extra training nor dealing with all that came with reeling in a group of fighters. She wanted her sister to be the face of her organization, in the same way she and her elder sister had once been the face of their clan. A task they'd taken to leave her with the more personable public image. "Silly, you did not have to ask that. It is not like I would say no," she said giving the girl's head a gentle pat. "You want to take some time, pick a few for me to test? You are a better judge of people than you are giving yourself credit for. But after we can pitch it to my knights at Camelot?" Artoria offered her younger sister. If she wanted to come with her to her kingdom she was always welcome. But she figured knowing her sister had relieved a siege on her own, she might have a knight or two in mind of her own besides Artoria's personal picks. "Oui!~" Such would be how this group set out to collect the proper knights for the start of the Holy Knights.

[Bloodedge]

Merlin shrugged. His Clairvoyance was askew at best, but he always felt as if those visions of the future were happening in the moment. Only a few things made it obvious that such was not the case. "It never feels like one," he said, refusing to admit that he didn't always see the future. Actually, it was more a random occurrence when he did have foresight... Merlin just didn't know that would not be the case for very long. Regardless, there was little to say, and even less he cared to disclose at present. It seemed Jeanne's plan was not to ascend immediately, but instead to prepare the Holy Knights to join her. What an interesting decision. Well then, Merlin supposed it was time he did the resident mage's duty and produced a means of transport via teleportation. Off to Orleans they'd go, until Jeanne D'Arc was prepared to rise properly.

A short time later, Gilgamesh woke, refreshed and... not at all where he'd previously been. He recognized this place; it was his own bedchambers in Uruk. How he got here was a mystery, but it was assumable that Siduri had something to do with it. The king rose, his eyes glossed over as he parted ways with the bed. Beside him lay Bab-ilu, the key to his treasury. How laughable. If he had only taken it with him, so many things would have gone very differently on his journey. Traversing the darkness beyond that wretched gate would have been the play of children. He'd have been fed and sheltered on the journey, rested enough to survive even two weeks without sleep under Utnapishtim's test. He'd have been able to store that damned herb before it was taken by a serpent, and if he didn't, he could have captured it before it got away with his bounty. He'd have been the victor of the Holy Grail War he so randomly got dragged into. These 'what-if' scenarios played through King Gilgamesh's mind as he stepped out of his room, choosing to breathe in the air of Chaldea once more after so, so long. It was a long walk to exit the Citadel of Uruk, though no longer than any other he'd taken. What truly took his breath away though, was the realization that came after he set foot outside. This was not his city. He'd been away for so very long, many lives had come and gone. None were well, why? What he saw was a city in shambles, unworthy to be called the strong-walled city-state he constructed so long ago. At this point, it could be called nothing more than a mighty wall with a broken, oversized village resting within. Had he been the cause of the famine which shrunk the bodies of his people? Had he caused those arguments happening below, the late signs of marriages that should never have been if they were to end in such a way? Had he been the reason... there were children, but no playing? Surely that couldn't be. . .

[Apollymi]

Merlin made the claim that he didn't feel his clairvoyance was so much a problem for him. In response, Artoria could do nothing but wave him off. They'd be off immediately as he took Artoria and Jeanne to Orleans. Here Artoria would take her favorite and secondary line of action, as bodyguard to her younger sister. "Do you have knights of your own in mind?" Artoria asked as they moved within the French countryside. Jeanne thought of it for a moment and had something to say. "Gilles, was with me when I broke the siege. He is among my faithful it's not an option to leave him behind..." she said. There were several reasons for that but she was willing to forgo a true explanation so her elder sister wouldn't worry, or kill anyone. "Hector, if he lived as well. He willingly stayed behind to let an entire group get out ahead of him. If any should be among those to receive the title of Holy Knight it should be him," Jeanne mused. "And if he isn't currently out on an adventure... Sieg," she said that last addition a bit strange, because of the shift in the lass' tone. Artoria looked at her younger sister and wondered if she was about to meet her boyfriend. "Alright, if you have your own in mind I will not dissuade you. But be wary, you are kind and people are not always so..." these were her big sister's words to her. Of course, she would say that... but there were probably a few more who could do with such a title, whether they wished to come with or not. After all, Jeanne fully intended for those with the title of Holy Knight to be both above and below, not just all grouped up together. That would by far be the fairest thing to do, and would make sure every one had some form of protection in this world.

Within Uruk it seemed that the king had finally woken. Siduri would be found at his side by the time he reached the end of his walk. She stood at his side, wondering what he would say. After all, he'd seemed almost content to die when facing off against the Saber of Blue. Surely, the sight of his city this way after his long trip would be enough for him to come to his senses. "Good morning, your majesty. Are you feeling well?" Siduri asked. She would heal him if he needed or they could get to whatever work he thought himself needing to do. Given the way he spoke of his city, she was quite surprised to find it in the state it was in currently. That being said, it'd been quite a while according to those here since their king had made his last appearance. As such, she figured he'd want to re-establish himself. Both herself and Rider were more than willing to help out to that end.

[Bloodedge]

Was Gilgamesh feeling well? What a stupid question. There was blood in his veins, yes. There was breath in his lungs, yes. In respects such as these, he was feeling well. As for the state of his being, however, he was sick to his stomach. How was he supposed to let himself die if this was what he was leaving behind? The legacy he and Enkidu sought would be for nothing if this aftermath was carried as part of the memory. "Siduri..." he spoke, the decision he had to make being clear as the overhead sky. The king sighed, and his eyes lidded shut. "If you climbed up on the wall of Uruk and inspected its foundation terrace, and examined the wall brickwork, would it not be of burnt bricks? Did not the seven wise men lay these foundations? One third of the whole should be city, one third garden, and one third field. These parts, and the precinct, are all Uruk."

With that declaration made, eyes opened with a gleam of bright crimson. In the time they were closed, Gilgamesh saw this city not as it was, but as it should be... and he understood the sight. The words spoken were the truth of a Gilgamesh, a king, who knew the countries of the world. He would go on to unearth a wisdom hidden beneath the surface of his own being. He'd see mysteries and know secret things. He'd bring a tale of the days before the flood, and the tale of that labor-worn king's journey would be engraved on stone in full. It was time for Uruk to undergo a great change; the tyrant king could not be what greeted this new era. And so began the proper tale of the wise king: Gilgamesh of Uruk. When next he took his throne, he did so in new garb, sporting the most majestic robes a king of Uruk had ever been witnessed in, his full glory on display in the form of an aura as Chaldea as a realm reached new heights at last.

[Apollymi]

Siduri stood at Gilgamesh's side, hearing out what he had to say. To say the king had a plan would be almost an understatement. She supposed, given she was now a citizen she should do her part to make sure the world got to see the king under the circumstances he wished to be seen. She'd make note of his words, and continue on. Days would begin to pass and things would begin shaping up again. This time when he took his throne he did so fully dressed and she stood to the left of it, organizing the things he had to deal with into an order which could be dealt with. Surely, Uruk could come into glory while Gilgamesh was taking the hands-on approach.

All the while a certain green haired goddess was watching. She'd moved about a bit. Done some slumming down on the surface world. But none of it worked out. Over the course of a century she'd accidentally gotten herself killed, rose again. Gone down below to try and take a hero's life over, had that fall apart. And now she was once again just bored and watching the blonde haired mortals she enjoyed toil away at life. But the King of Uruk was now back and Uruk was once again back on the rise. That city was hers as far as she understood. She was its patron goddess, so soon enough she'd go to visit him and make him grovel at her feet.

[Bloodedge]

All would be well in Uruk soon enough. This, Gilgamesh knew as fact. Days passed, becoming weeks. In that time, Gilgamesh instructed the masses, he dealt in matters of state, and he meditated until those mysterious eyes of his saw their power coalesce into something very unreal. In only a short few weeks, he sat atop the throne with Siduri at his side. The king reviewed numerous tablets one after another, declaring laws and organizing trade with neighboring cities of Mesopotamia. Among these things, he'd also taken leave just briefly. Much had occurred in the time he'd been gone. One such occurrence was the rise of Egypt, which now officially counted as a subsidiary to the greater Chaldea─ both in organization and in a more literal sense. That place and its pharaohs could be considered more than acceptable, and gave Gilgamesh reason to believe he would soon be seeing one of two participants from the war some weeks prior. Why he hadn't seen or heard of them already, he neither knew nor cared. There was far too much to do for him to be concerned about that for now, but that battle and everything prior did give him a different purpose. In this time, it should have been ready by now. "Siduri!" he called out. "Does Medusa have what I require yet? I will not go on having to carry that thing around for the rest of my life. If I end up in another of those damn wars or fending off some mongrel who reaches for the heavens, I will be ready at all times."

[Apollymi]

As the days progressed so did the great city of Uruk. One day, some weeks after their return, Siduri was presented a question by King Gilgamesh. He claimed to want to know about a thing he'd asked for from the woman they'd picked up in the Holy Grail War, known as Medusa. That woman, who was classed Rider had a great many skills. And among them was her ability to be utilized as a record-keeper. Her knowledge of bounded fields and ways to manipulate them, was currently being used to devise a method for Gilgamesh to always have the 'key' to his treasury on his person. Such a job wasn't too far outside of Medusa's abilities. She'd been using her own skill to subdue Mystic Eyes and she used that basis to fashion the thing he asked for. Siduri for her part in this began answering the king. "I last checked in with her late last evening. She claimed to be on the verge of a breakthrough and stated she'd be by when it was finished..." she said of the woman.

Much to her own relief almost immediately after speaking Medusa made her way to the place before the throne. She was dressed in a lightweight cream-colored robe-like dress, and flat open-toed shoes. Her hair was pulled up from her face, and hung down her back in a ponytail of pink waves. "Apologies... it took a bit longer than expected to work it out completely, but here..." she said offering upon her approach a Mystic Code to be infused into the king's person. Doing so would allow it to change to suit his physical forms desire, in the form of line tattoos which would be present on his person in the same interesting color his eyes possessed. "It should change with the criteria you meet, but allow you to access the whole thing as you wish. It's a bit free form as far as magic is concerned, but it will definitely keep you able to access the treasury from the outside," she said. She didn't bother mentioning any potential drawbacks. She'd conversed enough with this man to know he'd laugh at anything she mentioned like strain. "Oh, though it could still be locked from the key. Like I can't stop that from functioning at all..." she added. Medusa might have seemed a bit frazzled, but she wasn't at all. Instead she was quite happy to be working again and on things she completely understood. Being within Uruk had been exactly the sort of safe haven she was looking for, with a job that would keep her busy for some time yet. "If that's all, I'll be going. I finished the backlog and I can take the new stuff now. I think Nippur is up..." she said and given nothing else was required of her, she'd go back to the room she'd been working in. All the while a certain goddess was keeping watch over what had to be her favorite blonde waiting for him to become worth the effort of taking again.

[Bloodedge]

"Hmph. Good. There will soon be an annoyance to deal with," Gilgamesh stated on the topic of his new acquisition. While sleeping most sparingly, the king began purposely triggering those prophetic dreams of his while awake. Something rather offensive was on its way to Uruk, though he couldn't quite see what it was. No, something was off about that as well. It was not Uruk which was endangered, but instead all of Chaldea. He'd have to be more diligent in refining his ability, lest he keep missing the specifics... unless there was something else clouding his vision.

Much to the king's satisfaction, Medusa was soon entering the throne room, Mystic Code in tow for precisely what he needed. His eyes locked onto the Mystic Code, then the woman herself. She seemed to have become well-acclimated to life above the surface world, looking rather comfortable as she stood before him after working tirelessly for his sake. No words of thanks would be given by one such as King Gilgamesh, but some words would be offered nonetheless. "Good work," he said while reaching out to integrate the code into himself. Crimson lines immediately drew themselves up the length of his torso, wrapping around his biceps as well. With these seals that looked remarkably similar to the summoning of his ultimate treasure, Ea, he would be capable of accessing the whole of his treasury. Excellent. With that though, his eyes were back on one of two tablets in his hands. "That will be all. When I am done dealing with Kutallu's trade, I will send for word about what that mongrel in Nippur wants from me."

[Apollymi]

Medusa had her work looked over in a moment, and then Gilgamesh took said Mystic Code into himself. Of course, what did he say about it, he didn't thank her, instead he complimented her work. Medusa's strange eyes widened, she hadn't heard those exact words in quite a while. Actually, the last time she'd heard it, they'd been from the mouth of a teen girl with surprisingly similar eyes. That gave her a strange warm and fuzzy feelings inside. "Thank you..." she managed her hands coming together before herself in an oddly girlish manner before she bowed. Apparently, he'd be in contact again when he was ready for her to take over the next bit. She couldn't help but be pleased, she actually really enjoyed working. "I'll be ready. See you later, Siduri~" she managed before disappearing. A small smile appeared under Siduri's veil. That one had become so comfortable so quickly. And while King Gilgamesh was recovering the pair had become fast friends.

All the while, Ishtar watched and with the leaving of that pink haired woman she saw the return of Gilgamesh to a glory enough to attract her attention. He was beautiful! Muscled and tattooed now with a bit of gruff hard workingness to him. He even had a couple of female servants around now so she could easily be taken care of between him and his people. Yes. Now was the time, she was done licking her death wounds. Her newest husband already interred in the underworld for having the gall not to be sad about her death. Yes, all could be done now. She stood in this moment, shaking out long green locks and stretching slightly before taking a single step forward to land her in Gilgamesh's throne room. "I see you've been busy, making yourself more attractive to me. This change in your look is one I can accept... and I am almost willing to forgive your previous rudeness. Come, you'll be mine now, I've decided!" she proclaimed. Surely this worked on men all the time. Any were ready to serve her, so this one should after all of his adventuring be properly ready for her. Siduri continued standing at Gilgamesh's side, she wondered if this was the trouble he spoke of. Ah, but that speech of hers wasn't completely unfamiliar, she remembered the golden king saying something similar to the blue saber. She wondered if he would have the same reaction as that lass did.

[Bloodedge]

Finally, the king could return to his work. The interruption he suffered was not one he was opposed to, but it was an interruption nonetheless. What was next? Was there going to be some citizen bursting into the citadel to yammer on about their recently-deceased cattle? No... no, it was going to be so much worse. Gilgamesh didn't even have to look up to see that green mop of indignation set foot in the ziggurat, and he definitely didn't need to look her way to to be enraged by her appearance. Ah, but there was even worse to come, wasn't there? She alone held all the blame Gilgamesh had to throw over Enkidu's death. Now, she was back to her usual antics. He turned her down very succinctly once, did he not?

The important thing here was not Ishtar's desire for the King of Uruk. The matter of most importance was her approach, which... was markedly similar to one Gilgamesh himself spewed earlier. Eyes widening, he looked up from the tablets. He saw across the throne room not Ishtar, but his own laughing mug. Was that what he sounded like? No wonder that damn Saber turned her nose up to his offer. Even if Ishtar hadn't been whoring around for all of time and mistreating her lovers, even if she wasn't responsible for the death of his only friend... he would have been disgusted by her demands based on her unwarranted audacity alone. For just a moment, the king trembled. A tablet fell, and his face fell into his open hand. "I can't believe it. I was such a fool, that I couldn't see it even with these eyes before now. . ."