Finis Chaldea

[Apollymi]

Oh, the king took amusement from Siduri's embarrassment? Of course he did, he was the type of man who saw such things often and after journeying for decades likely saw the novelty of her in a moment like this. "It's nothing like that... someone has to have some modesty," she claimed her face still burning as a result of his jabs and having caught sight of his nudity. Ah, poor lass, it would likely be ingrained in her mind for far too long. Maybe the image would eventually replace itself, disappear into the folds of her cortex long before she ever properly remembered seeing it. Yes, that was it, the exact thing to go for.

As she pondered over this point, that little serpent stole the fruits of King Gilgamesh's labors. It ran off with all that he had accomplished in decades. And in the face of that irony, the king, laughed. Oh but it wasn't a pleasing sound, it was the laugh of one broken and spit upon by the world. Over and over again, this man had tried and failed to catch hold of an ounce of hope. Or at least... that would be his thought... that snake lowly as it was, was once a creature of deep meaning to the world. Its caretaker once a goddess of Wisdom called Metis, who'd named him something like...Gandr? Yes, that was it, the snake once called Gandr. And Gandr's last vestiges stretched much wider and longer than any could know. By taking in that herb, the world would be affected, but in what way? Well, the snake was so pleased by the meal that it deemed it would not let it escape, as it was carried down stream it bit its own tail becoming endless in its cycle of renewal. A ring, this snake would now take on, but the meaning of its name was lost with its goddess. Gandr? Gandr? Jormungandr, the World Serpent. It's care given by wisdom determined the length of life, but in grasping its own tail, life became a cycle to start anew at its end. This, was what King Gilgamesh wanted for his people, but not something he would actively give, no... it would be through his failures that he finally gave to the world. The snake which found its resting place in the depths of the underworld, would change the world for the better by Gilgamesh's own hand, but never would he know of it. And on this unknown note, would end the Epic of Gilgamesh.

[Bloodedge]

Modesty? What a wasted effort. When one had, one should flaunt as the unique possession it was. Gilgamesh could, however, take solace in the fact that there was such a woman. In hindsight, women who brandished their beauty as a cornered hound bore its fangs were quite... disgusting. It gave him a memory of that goddess who had nothing to offer but a divine form, no capacity, no merit whatsoever. He never thought he'd develop a type while being capable of bedding women in every corner of the world on a whim, yet here he was... having a revelation.

He was prepared to accept Siduri's refusal of bathing. He was prepared to finish cleaning himself, and to let Siduri have the pool while he basked in glorious victory. Indeed, he may have even been prepared to properly absorb the sight of the wine-maker in bathing, but now... he was slighted by a beast. The king laughed like a maniac as his head fell back, dripping locks weighted and hanging into the water at his rear. "Was it for this that I toiled with my hands and wrung out my heart's blood? For myself, I have gained nothing. The beast of the earth has joy of it now. I found a sign, and now I have lost it. Hahahahaha!" He could do nothing but laugh at misfortune. In a way, he felt... empowered. The massive weight of this entire journey was now beneath him, and most importantly... he'd been throwing his life away in search of immortality for decades now, and in spite of letting his own life be in the hands of fate, fate could not claim it. In that case, was he not immortal by his own capacity? Could he not fell every attempt at his own life with a bit of effort put forth? He'd been doing so for his entire life thus far, so what was to stop him from continuing? Nothing. Strangely, there was a great satisfaction deep within the King of Uruk, if only because he could just... give up now. "Let's go. My long journey is over. Where are those garbs Utnapishtim spoke of?"

[Apollymi]

"Hmmm..." Siduri was in deep thought. The King of Uruk seemed somehow better for losing that plant he had. She didn't know why but it was almost like he'd found some sort of peace during this journey. She supposed that was best and if he wasn't throwing his life away, then maybe he'd learn to enjoy it eventually. She'd be in Uruk maybe for a time, she'd eventually come to know what kind of man he was after his despair. Ah, what was this now, he wanted to know about his clothing. Of course, she had it, she turned, her eyes up to avoid more unnecessary looking upon his unclothed glory. "It's here," she said. Though the lass would have enjoyed a long bath, she was more of a lover of warmer waters and these didn't look that. But with the end of Gilgamesh's journey she could go along with him for a bit if he'd prefer not to dwell on this place. He should at least return to a kingly visage, if he was going home to greet his people. But when they left this place, where would they be...

In the time since Gilgamesh began his journey, several other people had begun popping up all over the continent. They were busy individuals, garnering the faith of others, protecting the masses, or any other random thing. Of course, one such individual was in place just watching. A long blonde ponytail move about in the breeze and her body was carefully armored. She held with her the flag of France and had large blue eyes to boot. Why was she here? Well, there was a rumor about the Holy Grail and she was coming to claim it. She wished to use it to help her people and to that end, she'd been working. Doing what? Investigating some disturbance of space, she found in the middle of this place. It was wide spread encompassing a large area, but it was not solid yet. She'd be making sure she was inside before it solidified because it was thought this barrier was created by the birth of a Holy Grail. She felt no bad energy from the barrier so she felt it trust worthy enough, maybe it was here to keep the damage to nearby areas low, that was thoughtful for all potentially involved. Still, it was in a strange place, a disputed stretch of land, between several kingdoms and empires.

[Bloodedge]

Gilgamesh went on to dress himself in garbs that would not wear and tear with age. Though he was without his royal jewels, that was all fine. As he preferred, the majority of his torso was exposed, bar the golden pauldron-like shawl thrown over his shoulders. With that, the two were on their way to what Gilgamesh presumed would be Uruk, or at least the realm of Chaldea. Where they wound up instead, was somewhere... lower in the world. Why? Could they not be brought to the realm above? Oh well. "This is not Mesopotamia, nor is it Chaldea. Wine-make─... Siduri, why have you brought us to this level?" he wondered.

Little did the king know, the two of them moved as normal, yet they appeared in this realm as a golden glow falling from the sky like an incoming meteorite. Where they landed was within the confines of this barrier. They were but one of a total seven who were being dragged into this bounded field by a power equaling the world itself: The Holy Grail. At least one individual here had been keeping count of the stars breaching the barrier; he was one who knew why they came. Vermillion hair adorned his head, matching the stubble of his face and the three claw marks over his right eye. "Five," he counted. Another male, far more muscular than a human should be, looked up as well. Wild, black hair was moved from his gaze as he observed the falling star prior to Gilgamesh's query.

[Apollymi]

Ah, they were now somewhere strange, Siduri looked up from where they'd come and saw with her eyes, a magical barrier around this thing. "King Gilgamesh, I am hardly responsible for this..." she said her brows furrowing. "The layers in the world aren't exactly even, it isn't easy to get directly from one place to another, as you already know," she said with a minor scoff. "This is almost a completed barrier, or a reality marble but it's not done yet..." she mentioned of her own analysis. Why they were here, was a question up in the air, but the former wine-maker had done nothing but make the path, he'd been the one to determine the direction. Besides all of that, there was a huge barrier forming around them.

At the same time a different woman was riding into the barrier altogether. She dropped from the back of a winged horse that disappeared from sight after she landed. Her hands touched the ground and her covered eyes traced the whole of the lands. Oh, there were people here... "Hm, I wonder if I'm going to have to fight," she mused to herself. Six others besides herself wasn't a large number of people... and she could in fact kill a great number of people without real effort. What did she want? Some place to call home, she was done wandering about in the world, being treated as a monster. Oh well, what were a few more lives on her hands to disappear somewhere into the world. Ah, but the barrier still wasn't complete just yet, some criteria had yet to be met.

[Bloodedge]

"If not you, the ferryman, then who should take blame for this?" Gilgamesh questioned further. It was not he who chose the location, but rather his ambition doing the work without his knowledge. A few steps were taken in a bit of a roundabout, while Gilgamesh found his attention on the forming barrier as well. How strange. This place was actively sealing itself off, but from what? Rather, what was it sealing in? "Hmph. It would be no epiphany if this proved to be the work of those gods, the whore Ishtar and her lot. They are welcome to try containing me now."

Ah, but this had nothing to do with the gods, and was indeed something beyond even their ability. Even the deities of this world had no control over the world itself. "Six," was counted by the red-haired male in this field. Only one more would appear before the barrier completed itself, and one more happened to be on its way. Within it, there were two bodies. Both could have been qualified to seek the Holy Grail, but one abstained by nature. Of course, that one white-haired mage of a man also abstained from mentioning why they were en route to this place. "Oh, we're almost there, my king~♥" he said to the one he escorted... who was interestingly a little too much of a girl to be a king. "Are you excited?"

[Apollymi]

Apparently Gilgamesh didn't truly understand how the ferryman spell worked. A sigh came from Siduri as she tried to think of a proper way to explain. "You, King Gilgamesh. I make the path, you walk it," she mentioned hazarding a glance his way. Was this barrier the work of the gods... she thought not. "Unless the Mistress of the Underworld has decided your death is necessary I think not. And even hers feels... different," mentioned Siduri. She'd been ferrying people towards death herself for quite a long time, she was familiar with the way such magic felt, and this on the surface was nothing like that. Yes, it had the pull of great severing power but... it didn't retain the cool nonjudgement of death. No, this was something entirely different. "I would sincerely hope the gods didn't just decide to keep messing with you just after you'd resurfaced, that'd be vindictive," she said giving a gentle nod. Whatever was creating this barrier, they were going to be stuck in it if they didn't get out. And given what the king of Uruk was like she assumed they'd not be getting out on purpose. "Would it be presumptuous to assume that this is a matter of curiosity for you? The barrier itself is almost finished and I have no doubts we'll be locked in once it is," she mentioned. Taking that slightly advisory role she'd had since meeting him in his journey.

While counts and tallies were taken the last of those involved would be arriving soon, and in the company of what she considered to be a rather annoying man. She had a young a feminine form, though not particularly well endowed. She had blonde hair, kept up modestly in a rounded bun with a braid. She walked along with all the poise of an aristocrat but through the wild lands as if she was unbothered. Her dress, was delicate but blue and with white underthings and she had sharp green-blue eyes which were startling to behold. "I doubt I have done anything in this world to deserve your constant yammering as a punishment," she mentioned. It would be obvious to all this man annoyed her to no end. He also kept calling her king, and occasionally made her into a man which was something she hated as well. He piled on reasons for her to dislike him but whenever she needed to be somewhere he made sure she was there, which is why, even though she considered him to be the biggest annoyance in her new life, she allowed him to say by her side and breathing. "I do not know what I should be excited about. You told me I needed to come here. So we set out... but if I find this to be another annoyance unnecessary for any reason," her eyes narrowed with a strange amount of unseen bloodlust. She wasn't always violent, but this man seemed to bring that right out of her, even with just playful words.

[Bloodedge]

So then, this was not the work of the gods. He could believe Siduri, given her life spent within their garden. That, however, left an even greater curiosity. If the gods had nothing to do with it, then this was an all new challenge to welcome as he returned to Uruk. More glory was here to be sought, Enkidu at his side just as they'd always been... Well, in a way. "If not the gods, then there is nothing but glory in the path ahead. Perhaps I will ordain a new piece to my vault," he proclaimed. Speaking of his vault, what a shame it was that he'd not brought with him the key to unlock it. There could be combat here, yet all he had was his flesh, clothes, and access to only a few special tools linked directly to him. He should keep in mind to find a better way of accessing the treasury, but no matter; the weapons he had access to were more than enough to handle any threat on this level of the world. "This is no curiosity, Siduri! What lies before us is something that calls itself a challenge! I will remind it that it is but a stepping stone to the likes of me." Forward he went as the barrier began to close. He'd find the purpose of this field, and he would leave a victor of whatever challenge it presented. Simple, he thought.

Just like that, the group of seven plus were sealed within a wall of true magic, beyond even the waning magical power of gods and fairies at their greatest. The fault lay with two: the girl-king and the mage at her side. Of the two, the latter seemed nothing but amused at every word his ruler offered. She was always so cute with her threats of death against him, even as she continued following his instruction to the journey's next segment. "You should be excited about everything, of course!~ The simple fact that I brought you here is something to look forward to, isn't it? No need to send me death-glares, Artoria~♥" he retorted with a wink, his long staff aiming its head in the direction of... strangely, a French flag in the far distance from their point of arrival. "See, look! Someone besides the Saxons; you can finally put your sword down!"

[Apollymi]

Apparently, Gilgamesh would see any real fight as nothing but glory if the gods weren't involved. He had no idea of the kind of time they'd emerged in, his journey had taken decades and the gods had experienced quite a bit of decline. "Is that really it? The King of Uruk will claim a new treasure? Hm, alright then... I suppose we are in it for the long haul. I will avoid dying if at all possible," she said like a good little assistant. Obviously she wanted no part in any fighting, she was a guide, advisor but not a fighter in the conventional sense. She could hide them, move them, or even pick at the barrier to try and force a hole but if he wanted to stay for glory, well... she would be by his side. "Well, at least you're in good spirits..." she claimed. Strangely that barrier over head came to a proper close while the last participant entered not even knowing what she was walking into.

"No one is excited about everything," she said flatly. "And you taking me somewhere, usually means I have to fight something or someone. Or that you are going to do something annoying like turn me into a man," she said giving him another glare for his troubles and for her own memories. "Death glares are free, you live off them now, right?" she asked of him. Though there were French, in this encampment so he wasn't lying. Maybe she wouldn't need to kill anyone. Ah, and what was this, someone holding a French flag was approaching, long blonde hair at her back, lightly armored and with a face, strikingly similar to Artoria's own. She stood as a guardian to her little encampment, but blue eyes would meet Artoria's and a flash of recognition would be present on both sides. "Eri-nee," said the lass with the longer looser hair. "Emi!" There it was, the excitement... excitement unknown by Artoria in a long time, and suddenly, her arms were open and there was another blonde rushing into them happily. "I missed you. I didn't expect to find you here..." she questioned in rapid succession. "Calm down, calm down... Give me a minute."

[Bloodedge]

Indeed, the King of Uruk would claim a new treasure. Such was his way, and such would always be his way. Boundless was his collection, ever growing, ever increasing in power. He'd already forgotten how many things he'd collected over many, many years. "Is the King of Uruk not Gilgamesh? Is Gilgamesh not he who amasses a collection of all things in this world? If it is to be considered treasure, it is mine. I have decided on a return to my pursuit of all things valuable as I return to great Uruk!" he announced. If only he knew, it was that precise decision which landed them at this location.

Others, however, arrived very much on purpose. Artoria for example, though she may not have made the decision herself, was here by the guidance of Merlin. Five total others were present for various reasons, but all shared a common goal: ambition. Yes, each participant of the coming battle was here due to their own ambition, their desire for the Holy Grail, whether they knew of its existence or not. All had a reason to possess that item. All had a reason to at least touch it. One such person was the red-haired male, who was already on the move to find his first of six targets. All participants would be given a message by the grail itself. "Seven souls are present. Which of you will touch the grail?" a voice from beyond even Celestia asked. The red-haired male registered this as his time to strike. All participants were shown an image in their minds, a single word each. One saw Saber, one Archer, one Lancer, one Assassin, one Caster, one Rider, and one Berserker. Gilgamesh took pause where he stood. It was he who was given the title Archer, though it appeared quite... fuzzy. That red-haired man running through shadows was Assassin, on his way to one deemed by the grail to be... ah yes, the most likely first target of his would be Rider. All he had to do was find the one assigned that role, and his path to the grail could be forged.

[Apollymi]

"A king's declaration..." mentioned the poor lass known as Siduri. She supposed this was entirely better than watching him mope and writhe in the garden of the gods. At least in a moment like this the King's glory would be obvious to all. Perhaps, he'd earn reprieve in addition to his new treasure. That was Siduri's hope for the man known as Gilgamesh. Of course, they weren't the only people present here, and soon a count would be issued.

"Seven?" was the murmur of the one woman who looked up thinking about it. Or rather she didn't look. Her eyes were covered and her thoughts were clear as day. There was a grail here and that was all she needed. She was fast, she had Pegasus, potentially, all she had to do was find the thing and she could take it. She was still kneeling but now with a known set of targets to look for, she could eliminate unnecessary mana signatures and search for the grail, and she'd do so... with her hand to the ground and her body completely open. She was technically fearless... there was nothing that could sneak up on her, so she could instead look for her prize.

All the while, Artoria and the golden haired other girl who looked like her stood together taking in the information. "Holy Grail? There is a grail here?" she questioned aloud. "Eri-nee you didn't know? Why did you come here then?" she questioned. Though her sister was a Saber now... there was no real problem for the one known as Emi. They were still embracing as the announcement happened but would let each other go to ponder the new situation. "I am here because he said I should be. As annoying as he is... that is fine," she said though she was currently in a good mood, so that statement wasn't accompanied by an angry glare. "Eri-nee, you haven't changed much I see. Are you giving people a hard time, still?" she questioned in her general motherly tone. "No... I am not. He is truly annoying. I promise. Moving on..." she quickly said not wanting her first topic of conversation with her younger sister to be everything wrong with Merlin. "So we just have to touch it to win? Then what do you say... want to touch the Holy Grail? Me and You.... I am pretty sure we can take five people..." offered Artoria.

[Bloodedge]

The Assassin-class combatant was steady on the move, fleet of foot and strong of will. His presence was concealed via his own ability as an Assassin, and the use of a more personalized skill allowed him to accelerate his own 'time' in a way. With rapid movements due to said acceleration, and with his dagger at the ready, he made way for the seemingly unexpecting Rider. 'Easy business,' he thought, anticipating little resistance as he'd faced so little since arriving in this world. His aim was clear. He would not slow himself until he'd bypassed the Rider with a slash through her very magic circuits. By managing that, he would make a return trip, and another, and another. A full flurry of lacerations across her body were to occur in his plan, until he'd severed enough that any attempt to utilize mana would essentially be suicide.

Meanwhile, Merlin was looking about as if there weren't two participants of this great battle standing before him. Hell, they were even discussing him at the moment, yet he paid them little to no mind. There were greater things at play right here, right now. A little family reunion of sorts was not even remotely important compared to the grand things playing out all around them. Oh, he could see it all, in real time even. "Everything comes together eventually," he mused aloud, without much thought to it at all.

[Apollymi]

Ah, the one marked Assassin, was headed straight for her. 'Error.' was the only word that came to her mind. She supposed she was out in the middle of the open, seemingly unarmed and very much just minding her own business. Her identity had been revealed, and she was no doubt considered the weakest opponent on the map. No matter, even blind, she could see him coming. Presence Concealment was a valuable skill, but it wasn't infallible. Her senses were likely some of the most perfect this world could offer. Even without eyes, she could hear his steps, feel the wind shifting differently and more so than that she could taste his temperature on the wind. A gentle shift, would conjure a magic circle. This magic circle would appear quickly, several long daggers popping out, each one crossing a blade meant to injure her person. She defended herself in this manner, "Apologies, I didn't know this spot was taken," she said one of those daggers coming to rest in her hands. That mask over her eyes was beginning to crack, how long would it take for her to release her own restraints? Five seconds? As that magical device was keeping her from killing everyone within her line of sight.

And what was this, a clear offer from Artoria for the two of them to partner up for this endeavor. All the while Merlin was looking around as if there was something more interesting than the two lasses in front of him. "Is he alright?" asked Emi, ever the concerned one. "Ignore him. He does that... I told you, really annoying," Artoria said with the same tone she'd had since entering this conversation. "So... you, me, touching a holy grail?" she asked of her younger sister once more. "Eri-nee, I don't know if we can both touch it..." she murmured. She didn't know why her sister wanted the Grail but didn't want it to come down to a fight between them. "It does not matter. That is not what I asked you..." she commented her eyes travelling away from her sister for the first time. Ah, Artoria's sweet side was about to show for just a moment. "I will not ever draw my weapon against you. So... it does not matter if we can not both have it. I would not see my little sister cry the first time I saw her... so, do you want to touch it?" she asked of Emi once more. "Yes, I need to I could probably get it on my own. But... I wouldn't attack you either," she said going to hug her again. And in this moment Artoria opened up her arms again, her younger sister was so emotional. "Come on now, we have people to beat up. I am sure no one wants to see Jeanne D'Arc crying all over her big sister's dress..." she said freeing them both up for more active participation.

[Bloodedge]

Oh? Strange; he'd never been deflected when utilizing this combination of abilities. This was going to be a bigger challenge than he initially thought, but he had confidence he could win against this one. "That's new. You're good. Sorry, this spot isn't really taken though. This is check," he referenced. Those multiple daggers of Rider's seemed to be the biggest problem he had in store. The way Assassin saw it, he would have to use his ability more frequently than initially anticipated. Luckily, he had quite a few daggers of his own. One by one, he was brandishing them and throwing them toward the Rider's blades with purpose. All he needed was to make contact with each one, and he could determine the tide of battle from an early point. Ah, but the tide was determined the moment this became the first battle. Another force was already approaching what he knew to be a new ongoing battle, hellbent on claiming the full glory of this little war. Everyone within this bounded field felt so... so very small, yet capable. Was there glory to be found here? Perhaps there was, but mention of the Holy Grail was intriguing nonetheless. That was undoubtedly something he needed in his treasury. So, onward he went, his presence swelling as he walked with a power this level of the world had never known.

In the meantime, Artoria and Jeanne D'Arc were reaching an agreement. How interesting. This was the second time this world had seen what would be known in future as a Holy Grail War, and it was the second time an alliance had been formed at its beginning. What would come of this one? Even Merlin could not know the outcome, interesting as it would be to see for himself.

[Apollymi]

"That is an error. There is no check... you didn't look at the whole board..." she mentioned. His knives came in contact with those daggers of hers, and would disappear from sight. "Not to sound disinterested but we'll both die if we stay here. And I don't want to die. Something we can't fight is headed straight for us," she said moving out of her circle of magic. She should move, she should run. This attack while annoying wouldn't be the end of her, as long as she got clear of this area before the arrival of what had to be the scariest aura within this little bubble. Her own use of Monstrous Strength would tier up her abilities. She would be saving that use of her real skill for a while yet. To reveal herself before it was necessary might actually get her killed. No knives would touch her as the use of those daggers would continue to defend her, even if they disappeared, she'd simply make sure her body was out of the way behind the weapons as they were thrown.

The pair of young women with their golden hair had agreed to face this war together. "New world same day, what's the job?" Artoria asked of Jeanne D'Arc. The girl with the longer hair had her face go soft, it really was just like old times. If they were attacking this war one by one then their main goal was the grail itself. "The Grail. Is somewhere within this bounded field. A number of sacrifices would be necessary to claim it after it is found. According to the texts in the church. You need a win, not necessarily a death, but both can count as a sacrifice. The person who 'wins' is the one who claims the Grail and has enough power to fill it. Enough sacrifices..." she explained the situation. Death could be the thing to do, but there were a few other methods. Mind control, charisma, taking out the biggest target and running were viable options. "How do I claim a win?" she asked of her sister. If death wasn't the only option, she'd be courteous enough to offer whatever alternative the world would allow. That was her duty as a Knight.