Finis Chaldea

[Bloodedge]

It was not enough that Enki had been run through countless times. He should have died. For the first time, he nearly cursed the divinity which let him survive such abuses. Alas, relief would come soon enough... after even more pain that lasted only a moment, or so he would believe. Into his jaw and through the brain, the chain of Nanshe ended Enki's life before the many expansions of the vengeful weapon took place. Such relief, but sadly, he would be waking to experience that feeling in the Underworld.

Meanwhile, Gilgamesh observed every moment of the former god's downfall. He'd be meeting with that one shortly, but for now, it was all over. He looked not toward the Queen of Knights, nor to Nanshe even as the Authorities of Enki were consumed and spread to the world. This event had reached a conclusion, but could it truly be considered an end? No, it could not. There was so much more to do, the least of which was dealing with the dignity of one Artoria Pendragon. Seething no less than before, he opened another gate. "Your audience awaits. The rags of a chamber wench are scarcely befitting of a queen. Go in glory," he stated as his own golden armor emerged from that golden ripple. Despite being fitted to his form, it was a thing that could be applied to any shape or size. There were some... caveats, so to speak, but it would be better suited than the garments of a whore regardless. Artoria was one of a very, very small few he would ever give allowance to, given the unique status of his armor as the only known plate of its mold forged while Mystery ruled the world.

[Apollymi]

Enki was ended but that wouldn't make too much of a difference. The still seething King of Heroes, was not looking at anyone in particular, but produced from within his treasury his golden armor for Artoria. The Queen of Knights looked at this from the portal and her left brow raised. Was this a concern of his? Hm, she tried to think about it reasonably and she did not enjoy the Star Wars Sex-Slave look. Admittedly, she wasn't actually a sex slave it simply did not fit her own sense of dignity. Still, it was a strange thing for the man to offer. Or maybe it wasn't? She'd been told before that she did not understand the hearts of men maybe this was one such occasion? Audience awaited? Go in glory? Well, she did always feel better armed and armored, admittedly a leftover habit from her previous life but it changed nothing. "You have my thanks..." That was rather meek wasn't it? Well she reached forward to touch the armor and in doing so it was equipped to her form magically. Ah, but of course the difference between armor showing on men and women became absolutely obvious once more.

Artoria gained long golden greaves, heeled and a bit cute with a pair of panties and a small back end cape. Her entire torso was left exposed and she had the golden pauldrons and full sleeves of golden armor on her fingers, but across her chest, just the smallest wisp of a plate. In fact if she wasn't sure how things worked in this world, she might have thought such a thing was done purposefully. The Queen of Knights inspected her own form and ended with her left hand on her hip, and Excalibur held tightly in her right. This was better than Slave-Girl chic, but... "Every time I put on something else... I find myself with a new exposed piece of skin. Girl armor in video games, except for a few fleeting pieces..." she said, knowing how much trouble she'd gone through to get her armor. Just that boiling below the surface of a tantrum. She simply wasn't going to think about it. If she didn't think about it... it wouldn't be a problem right. Nanshe walked along passing the girl. "You get used to it. That wasn't my choice, so you know... " she said understanding the issue. Still with that armor being from the earliest part of the world, Artoria was certain she would not be harmed wearing it. It'd be fine so long as she made eye contact with no one. Artoria began her descent from this temple. She wasn't previously granted the ability to walk around freely but had the distinct feeling she wouldn't want to here regardless. She wanted to go somewhere less wet, where creatures had four legs and the meat was red. Whatever the case she'd exit the temple and see what amounted to nothingness incarnate. The slaughter of this entire island had taken place and she did not feel badly about it, that was probably the psychotic killer part leaking through just a tad.

[Bloodedge]

Thanks? He was in no need of thanks. All that happened here, including the offer of his armor, was less than par for the course. It was even somewhat regrettable to part with his armor, not simply because he'd done so, but because the Queen of Knights bore a stain that could not be easily cleansed. Perhaps in having her clad in his own plate, he subconsciously took part of that stain unto himself. No matter. Artoria donned that armor, which had a habit of fitting form and purpose in unison. Why was it so revealing in her case? It tended to be the same for him, unless he felt defense was necessary. As for the commentary about "video game" armor on girls, he had no thoughts about it in particular. Something in his memory registered as a video game, but no great importance was attributed to it. Instead of bothering with that blabber, he shared information regarding the armor itself. "Aegis is a thing of great power, and greater potential. It presents its coverage as needed," he stated. That armor of his was the original form of something that became a shield for Anu, not properly used until he began to act as Zeus. In his case, it was many things at many times. "Earlier, it was the very same shield that halted your blade. It is one of the most reliable things in my treasury. Do not sully it."

With that explanation given, Gilgamesh closed his eyes and crossed his arms. In his current state, he could feel all the entries to the Underworld. So many required judging, and a select number of them would be judged only by him. As it seemed Artoria was making her way outside, the king stayed behind and offered a few parting words to Nanshe. "Ensure that nothing remains of this place. I have business to attend, so inform the others of a rendezvous in my citadel. All who participated will be rewarded handsomely," he said, not excluding the goddess herself at all.

[Apollymi]

According to Gilgamesh, his armor was a thing of both power and potential. Its coverage was presented as needed... Was Artoria to take that to mean he very exposed torso was her own doing because she presently needed no protection? Probably. Did that make it better or worse? She wasn't really sure which but at least she didn't feel like a half naked slave girl. She was told not to sully it? Fine. It was his after all... her own was something very different so she'd not do anything too strenuous while in possession of something which belonged to him. "As you like, " she said. He had no idea, how much Artoria cared for weapons and armor. Nothing that could be considered sullying would happen to any such item in her care. And so she walked out of the temple while rotating Excalibur in her hand, as if its weight was something she'd missed. There was one casual glance in the direction of the King of Heroes...

"Letting the Queen of Knights wipe this island from the map, meet back at your place for payment. I'll take care of it," she said with a small smirk appearing on her face. She knew he was going to the Underworld, it was the only logical conclusion. The King of Heroes was an Underworld judge and he'd already let the slaughter of this nation happen. Regardless, the Goddess of Wisdom would be found alongside Artoria Pendragon as she headed through the country towards the Ramesseum. The eyes of several people turned to her, including that of her younger sister with those golden eyes, and the Lady Vivian who had a pleased smirk to offer when taking in the look her sister currently possessed. "Oh? Look at that, Ozzy... she's wearing his clothes~" mused Nefertari. She assumed that the Queen would be in need of a few things. And there were quite a few of hers present in the workshop she held. It would be simple enough to find her some clothes worth wearing. Francis Drake was aboard her ship which she banished back from whence it came to land atop the staircase she'd disembarked from. No robots left. No dragon serpents left. No people left. This land was sheer desolation and after the Wisdom Goddess was done with it there was also no information left. "The King of Heroes had an errand to run. He said to all meet back at his citadel for payment and the like. He also said Queen of Knights that nothing is to remain of this place so... I think you should do the honors," mentioned Nanshe as she headed up the stairs. A place this size needed to be toppled huh?

[Bloodedge]

Instruction given, instruction received. While Nanshe took care of delivering his message, Gilgamesh closed his eyes and sank into the depths of Irkalla. He found it so easy to do so, it was almost like the time he perished properly. He appeared sitting in the Underworld upon a throne, the whole of Ishval lined up before him. There was quite a bit of work ahead of the King of Heroes, including the sorting of those who were guilty... and those who simply saw something they needn't carry into the next life. By the looks of it, he could take hours, days or weeks. However long it took, he would be certain to complete the task before anything else was done.

The others had brought an end to all life in Ishval, and seemed to be awaiting the return of Gilgamesh, Nanshe, and of course Artoria. Only two arrived, though that wasn't too unexpected. The Golden King seemed to be in a rather strange state for the entire trip, especially toward the end. Strange though, was the visage of Artoria Pendragon when she arrived. That armor was not familiar to Ozymandias, but it could only belong to one person with that amount of sparkle attributed to it. Nefertari seemed to catch on quickly to its owner, going so far as to comment on the armor's transition to the queen. "Hm? So she does," he agreed. "Though I'd rather not think of why. Let's just get this over with." At this point, Ozymandias was more than willing to abandon Ishval. A great many things had been witnessed during a virtual genocide, and none of them were pleasing to the eye. One should never have their greatest satisfaction be the killing of criminals, but that was the case today. There was no justice served to be content with. They slaughtered, but all too late for change; no wrongs were righted as a result. Ozymandias could only wonder how many of the others shared this opinion, though he spoke of it no further.

[Apollymi]

Right. The destruction of such a place was daunting at best. Most would have been disappointed by such a task regardless of their own connection to the situation. One Francis Drake had not cared much aside from helping find Artoria Pendragon, but even she did not appreciate several of the things she witnessed from atop her ship. This was the sort of day ended at the bottom of a mug, irrespective of the 'victory' at hand. They were to get this over with and Artoria agreed, but first arms were opened as Jeanne made her way into them. "I cannot say I am happy to see you wearing such a face... though it does work for you," said Artoria as she patted her sister's head. "I've been like this for ages. Nothing to worry about... Now knock the rest of this shit hole over so we can go. I've seen enough of terrible humans today," Jeanne's words made Artoria's eyes widen. Whatever this world had done to her younger sister, would need to be fixed. She looked to Vivian who could only shrug. "I told you to watch your mouth around her for ages... I will take no blame for it," she said which only made Artoria shrug.

"Alright old friend... what do you say we... return the rest?" she said to her sword. From the very edge of the Ramesseum, Artoria Pendragon looked out over this place, and took a deep breath... 'One last glimmer, I hope the ones that are left do better next time...' she thought absently. She held her blade in both hands, pointed it down towards the land as the light began to gather. All the light of this world's hopes and dreams gathered at the end of her blade, and became a beam of shining light. Her own light was being added to the mix, strengthening the size and shape of it, it burrowed into the land down to its core. She didn't intend just to sink the island but cleanse it as well. She fed it power until the very lands of this sunken palace seemed to shake beneath her... "Sheathed in the breath of the planet, a torrent of shining life... feel its wrath," she fully incanted this use of Excalibur's power while the members of Chaldea's elites watched. This included the Goddess of Wisdom who felt strangely looking upon that light. "EXCALIBUR!" A cry of victory would break apart the entire island's crust, the lift of the blade would finish the job of cracking the barrier around it. A glowing blade of gold and light looked to almost match that of the armor she now wore... this was the thought of Nefertari, as that extended blade of light razed the whole of the land and the island itself crumbled into nothingness. Such would be the ending of the island of Ishval.

[Bloodedge]

And so, the country of Ishval, former subsidiary of the AS-IKU empire, was reduced to nothing by a single sword. Excalibur's use was always a thing to behold. This time though, something felt just slightly off. Ozymandias had seen the assault only a handful of times, but all other instances had shown that beam of light in a very different manner. It had previously been purely a light of hope in the face of darkness, but this one... seemed more like an oppressive hope snuffing out the last remnants of a dying darkness instead. Though it remained a thing of hope, Ozymandias turned his gaze from it midway through. Maybe this whole ordeal had simply put a bad taste in his mouth. Regardless, Ozymandias remained prepared to seal off Ramesseum Tentyris the moment all were boarded. The destruction of Ishval would undoubtedly result in the loss of that strange oxygen barrier, freeing the sea to collapse around them at any moment. He was generally beyond ready to begone from this horrendous space. Even so, there was a detour necessary before he could see Egypt again. Well then... Ozymandias supposed he'd be bringing an entire pyramid directly to the Citadel of Uruk for whatever payment Gilgamesh had in mind. Little did he realize, it would be quite a while yet before the King of Heroes actually returned to the citadel. . .

[Apollymi]

Everyone seemed to be ever so slightly off put, in the Citadel of Uruk though for however long the King of Heroes was gone, Artoria herself would at least be recovering. A decent meal a long hot bath, the burning of those rags she'd been wearing when she was picked up. Those were all good things as far as the Queen of Knights was concerned. Rarely was there a time she was seen without her sword in hand. Even so... her mental status was at least considered by a couple of the other people wandering around the Citadel. Siduri for instance was happy to see the Queen's return but wondered over the state of her mentality, until of course, she came across her alone in a room. What was the Queen of Knights doing at a time like this? Post bath in light linens, a necklace of gold seated on her collarbones. The resting state of that armor she fully intended to return personally to the King of Heroes. She was sitting in the floor, a whetstone in hand, her sword against her shoulder being held like one would only the dearest of companions. A simple chiming noise would be heard. "A thousand years without sharpening. Spending it in the hands of an unworthy cur... I feel your pain friend," she mused, with closed eyes. Were those words for herself or for the weapon? It was hard to tell. "But all was well in the end. You performed beautifully, you know? We are almost ready to see our knights again..." she stated honestly. Artoria had avoided immediately reporting back to them, because she wished time to restore the face of the Queen of Knights to its normal impassive state. A thousand years in captivity had left her lacking the calm demeanor she normally possessed outside of battle, so she'd scrub it from her face. She'd eat, she'd drink... she'd clean and practice with her sword... calming her own mind bit by bit until she felt more like herself. "How long will our King of Heroes be gone? We do not wish to leave the wrong impression but... it has been quite a while since we parted," she said carefully. "It will be nice to sleep reasonably, though... I suppose we should thank you, that I managed any sleep at all," she said to no one in particular but to someone very specific. Those chiming noises seemed to carry on for the longest time. The Queen of Knights spoke to her sword the way most people confided in a close friend. Strange though it was... it was fairly normal given what Siduri had seen of her in those seven years she'd ruled here. Perhaps now was finally the time for calming in the area... perhaps now finally that date delayed by ridiculous circumstances could finally be seen through?

Jeanne was content to hang around as well, though she traveled back and forth a bit for the sake of dealing with the Holy Knights. It would seem even in her darkened form she would want to stay close to her sister. Vivian ever aloof was around only for a little while, before she said to call her when he returned. She had work to do... "Oh?" that was strange, but that one was always the sort to disappear for no reason. At the same time, the apparent Goddess of Wisdom was content to hang around in Uruk. She'd taken up some strange interests, including one that Artoria shared, with a small child who told stories. Though the tales he spun were nowhere near factual it was for a very different reason she took interest in the child, though she hadn't specified what it was.

[Bloodedge]

The Golden King could have been courteous enough to mention how long his alleged errand was, but was he? No. Days began to pass, Ramesseum Tentyris hovered over the Citadel of Uruk in a manner that would undoubtedly create even more tablets for the king's review during his return, and Ozymandias... laughed about that fact. A few days was all it took for the male pharaoh to recover from an existential crisis, at least enough to relax a bit. Some others could benefit from a few nights of rest here and there; it would do all of Chaldea the world of good.

Those few days became a couple of weeks with haste. Gilgamesh intended to miss no soul from the slaughter of Ishval, so he kept them lined-up properly until... finally, the last of them was present before him. Enki, the former god himself, was the final one to judge. Enki was not brought forth in any normal way, but instead held by the Gallu. It seemed he had been attempting some form of escape, only to be repeatedly dragged back down. Gilgamesh stared down at the former deity with contempt, thinking it was finally time for punishment. "Enki... it would seem losing an arm did nothing to teach you why crossing me is a good idea for no one. Let me show you why dogs are meant to heel." Nothing for the eyes of the squeamish would occur in the following moments. Enki seemed so terrified after finally reaching the end of the line, it was quite satisfying for Gilgamesh to observe. Just as satisfying was the removal of his remaining arm and legs in sequence, followed by a series of burnings, lacerations, emasculations and otherwise. This judgement process lasted for several more days as the King of Heroes sought some sort of elation. He could find none, but that would not stop him. Four days of Enki's torture passed. So much occurred that the line of souls awaiting judgement became double the length it had been when Gilgamesh arrived. Then, and only then, did the king pass judgement. Enki bore the crimes of all who inhabited Ishval, as well as those committed before the god himself reigned over it. The true punishment would occur in the deepest reaches of Irkalla, where Ishtar herself had once been dragged around for seven years. Gilgamesh cared not for observing this; he had things to take care of on the surface world. As such, he'd leave the Underworld nearly a month after entering it.

[Apollymi]

A month in Uruk. The party of the King of Heroes spent a month in his Citadel while he ran his errands. Life returned to a semi-normal status for ones like Artoria Pendragon and Jeanne d'Arc. She'd not ventured back to Camelot just yet, but figured she would when the time was right. She'd even managed to get the expressions of her face back under control. She spent time with her siblings, and with the Pharaohs. She'd even come to enjoy the company of the one known as Nanshe who apparently preferred to be called Metis. Siduri and Medusa continued working both seeming to have their spirits risen upon realizing that the Queen of Knights, though she'd been gone for a thousand years, seemed to easily return to herself.

Artoria a month later would be found, taking on duties, not specifically of running Uruk but instead of her own health. Where was she in a moment like now, the Lion's Den. Sitting among big cats and having fed them already seemingly having a good time. She was petting a rather large male lion having done her part to thoroughly tucker out the youngest of the cubs. She sat with a large smile on her face sword in her lap with nothing but light and amusement in her eyes. She supposed she'd get up soon enough. She still did not like idleness even more so now than before. But at least she'd not been tortured by nightmares or the like. She'd slept fairly comfortably since coming to this place... weird though it might have been. "It might be time for me to go... I am not sure though, surely no one will miss me if I sleep here~" she mused mostly to herself. Well that wasn't entirely true, such speech was reserved normally for Excalibur but in a room full of lions it would be rude to exclude them. "What do you think? Should I hop over to Camelot for a little while?" she asked as if she expected some sort of answer.

[Bloodedge]

Life in this world seemed to be one long journey after another at times. Gilgamesh had been gone only a month this time, but he felt as if he'd been watching Enki struggle his way through death after death for another millennia. Why could he not find satisfaction in that? He'd never been one to be so repulsed for so long, yet he was. It was high time he found some answers... but alas, those answers seemed findable only within himself. Onward he went, shunning what negativity he could while encroaching upon Mesopotamia. The King of Heroes could claim a proper return. Would he, though? Not immediately. There was something he'd gone ages without doing, and it sickened him to do so. As such, the king's journey first took him to the Cedar Forest. Ah yes, many anniversaries had come and gone in the time he'd been dealing with those gods. A great deal of visits to places connected to Enkidu were in order, so he would start here and now. He stood where Huwawa had once fallen, glancing only a short distance from himself. There, he could almost trick himself. If he so much as blinked, the moment after his eyes closed, it was almost as if he could still see that green-haired living weapon standing before him. 'Would you have the answers I seek, Enkidu?' he wondered as the wind whistled through a generation of cedar trees that had not yet been born when Enkidu lived. 'Hmph. Doubtful. You would probably give me the wrong answer on purpose, wouldn't you?'

[Apollymi]

There was no immediate answer from the lions Artoria looked after, but in a few moments she came to a decision. She stood finally walking forward. She'd redress herself, in her most favored little dress of blue and gold and white and with Excalibur in hand walk towards the throne room of Uruk. She had made her own decision. Every time she made plans, every time she decided she would seek the King of Heroes, the world itself seemed to be against her. This time, after finding calm and peace due to him... she would take care of all other distractions of her own accord. "Siduri..." she started only for the woman to look up. Oh, it was pretty obvious by her shift in attire that she would be leaving wasn't it? "Going on a walk, my Queen?" Siduri asked with amusement and a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Something like that yes... Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table require my attention. I cannot leave them without their sovereign," she said with a knowing little smirk on her face. "Tell the King of Heroes I still have his armor. He should not die to leave me with it," she offered cheekily. "As you wish my Queen," Was the wine-maker's only reply. Ah yes, that was a different sort of promise. Artoria took care of weapons and armor in the strangest possible way that necklace of his was underneath her own dress covered mostly by the collar except for a single golden piece which seemed to lay directly in the center of her own chest. It lay against her skin, bringing her the strangest form of comfort she'd known yet, even while possessing that well-balanced dagger of his.

She walked back towards the baths and dropped Excalibur into the water. A few seconds later, Vivian rose from the Lake with a smirk on her face. "So you're not going to wait for him to return? Won't he feel like you're running from him?" she asked as if Artoria hadn't considered that. "I considered that but... every time we try and set up time to spend together it is ruined. If something is to go wrong I would rather it happen while I am prepared to deal with it. Besides... if I do not tell him when to expect me... the time will not eat away at us," she said as she stepped into the water. "Oh? How mature of you, Little Sister~" she teased gently before popping her up at the lake nearest Camelot. Why wouldn't she? It was time for Artoria Pendragon to return.

[Bloodedge]

It took a full day for the King of Heroes to travel the lands he'd once stood upon with Enkidu. High noon the following day marked the moment of his return. How strange... it seemed he spent far more time away from Uruk than he even did working, despite the amount he worked while present. Oh well. There was more to be done, and now rewards to be handed out. The king approached his ziggurat, observing the floating pyramid above it with discontent as he climbed the long stairs. Up and in he went, wasting no time before taking his throne again. As per usual, there was a single word that would leave his lips before any other. "Siduri," he called out. Now was not a time for picking up tablets, though he knew there were many as always. Now, instead, was a time to gather the masses. "Call upon those who joined me on that recent excursion. With success behind us, I shall deliver their rewards." This was something he intended to see done quickly. He'd waited more than long enough to repay the others for their work, and without a doubt, they would each be paid in ways none in this world could acquire by any normal means. Truly, Gilgamesh wasn't even certain what each person would receive just yet; he'd be doing that as he looked at them directly.

[Apollymi]

Siduri was called upon when the King returned. It was a mere day after the leave of one Artoria Pendragon. Was this some sort of plan or did they both simply have the same kind of mindset? Whatever the case, the veiled young woman appeared before the King of Heroes. "Welcome home, my King." she said seemingly pleased to see him. Apparently she was to alert the masses who'd attended his expedition to return for their rewards. That would not take very long, most of them were still within the vicinity of the City, well except for the target of that little adventure. "It will be done," she said giving a little bow. "I should tell you the Queen of Knights returned to Albion. I am to relay the message that she still has your armor. And that you should not die and leave her with it," she expressed the sentiment of Artoria Pendragon. She was not entirely certain what that woman meant by such a statement but she passed the message along regardless. Strangely such a sentiment was exactly the sort Artoria would give. Something of importance had been placed into her hands, as such she'd make sure to return it to the same.

Within the hour there was a gathering of certain individuals, Francis Drake was rather easily located, as she was drinking with Medusa playing some sort of game that Siduri didn't understand. Apparently, the two pink haired women enjoyed each other's company quite a bit. At the same time, Vivian seemed to pop up of her own accord around the right time walking in as if nothing was amiss in her world. She seemed rather pleased for whatever reason. Oh, but Nefertari and Ozymandias would need to descend from the pyramid. Jeanne d'Arc returned from the training grounds her sister set up in her previous time here, knowing that she would eventually come back to this place and more than willing to go from place to place to be nearby. She would likely show with Sieg in tow, she did not seem to travel without him anymore.

[Bloodedge]

Following the king's welcome, Siduri accepted the task given to her. There was something else, though. Artoria had recently left Uruk in favor of her home country, leaving behind the message that she still carried his golden armor. Siduri may not have understood the meaning behind this notice, but he knew its meaning. That armor would be returned to him directly, or not at all. He would see it upon their meeting with neither scuff nor stain, and it would be passed into his hands just as it had been passed into Artoria's one month prior. He didn't seem very bothered by her lack of presence, strangely enough. Perhaps they were of a same mind, that their meeting had been interrupted by fate one too many times for arrangements to be trustworthy. Or, perhaps he considered it best that they avoid meeting now anyway. No matter the answer, Gilgamesh pressed his fist to his cheek, closed his eyes, and sighed. "Hmph. I would expect as much," was all he said.

Soon, those he called upon began to arrive. There was Francis Drake, Lady Vivian, and Jeanne d'Arc still in her blackened form. Siegfried did indeed accompany the Maid of Orleans, or rather... the Dragon Witch. Good; he was one in need of payment as well. Following these arrivals, Ozymandias descended from the pyramid to the ziggurat, presumably with Nefertari in tow as always. The assembly was almost complete. Gilgamesh could count only Nanshe as missing, but he expected her arrival soon enough. "Sea Devil," he called first. Multiple things would leave Gilgamesh's treasury this day, and the first was... the rudder of a ship. It was large, made of gold, and of course of a quality that the word "perfect" would be envious of. It was a thing containing traces of Mystery, just as the other objects he had in mind did. "The Helm of Atra-Hasis. Carry with you this modified relic of the great Utnapishtim, and let your vessel be reborn as the Preserver of Life. With this, I declare there will be no greater seafarer. You alone shall be viewed as Sovereign of the Seven Seas. Your men shall never starve nor know illness, and your bounties, whether gold, hunt or glory, will never know drought. Infinite opportunities will present themselves to you on a whim. All you must do is steer your ship with this helm, and the ambition you've already shown the world."