Charles Patricius

[Bloodedge]

Charlemagne's summoning resulted in a colossal failure. That wasn't much to his surprise, though he could have done without that hefty splash to the face. Like some sort of guardian angel, Artoria was there to offer a handkerchief. He reached out to take it, but hesitated upon seeing her initials upon a rather high-quality object. "Ah─ Thanks, but... I couldn't do that," he said. Instead, Charlemagne pulled on his cape until it could be used to wipe his face.

While the King of Faith wiped away his own shame, the King of Heroes received a more... acceptable call. By Artoria's angry demand, the ripples returned yet again. This time, a large, gaudy, golden archway rose from the floor to act as a gateway. Stepping out only moments later was the Golden King. He appeared differently to the norm, sporting one of his typical royal robes, a crimson one, around his waist over black harem pants. He was shirtless as usual, albeit with various golden pieces adorning chest, neck and arms ─ the former of which even contained red cloth. One more red article appeared in the form of a cloak draped over his head as if it were just a hood. As always, he bore a wide grin while stepping toward Artoria. There may have been someone else standing in the Nexus, but he obviously didn't care about that. "H'oh? An excellent decision. A king shall heed the call of his queen, indeed. However, it is equally the duty of a queen to call upon her king properly. Should not my name be passing your lips as a gentle whisper as you pine for my attention? Approach these matters properly, and the results you see will astound you every time~"

[Apollymi]

An offered handkerchief was politely rejected. Artoria's reactions so such things were only the most natural things she would have done. Still Charlemagne was not keen to accept that little token. The Queen of Knights took no offence, in fact she only had to suppress a chuckle as the lad used his own cape to wipe his face. "Boys," she murmured as she returned that handkerchief to her pocket.

Something that couldn't be returned, was Gilgamesh, King of Heroes, once he was summoned by her. That golden replacement gate made her scoff but still she was attentive. She was counting slowly in her head, the twitching of that vein in the forehead. Artoria's left brow rose. His attire was markedly different from what he'd been wearing when she'd left him only a short time ago. Did he really change clothes? Well, he could do so with no effort and... he did look nice. Too bad, she wouldn't be getting the change to comment on that. No, because Gilgamesh began speaking and suddenly that once calmed vessel began pounding. She'd been so good today. Her entirely queenly visage had been maintained. She'd come off as sisterly, helpful and a bit playful. A perfectly executed big sister showing up to welcome a lad to the family. Ah... but he was about to see the truth of her. "Why the fuck would you even say something like that!?" Oops. That slipped out. She took a deep breath, she closed her eyes and inhaled and exhaled. "I did not call you here for me, King of Heroes. As the person who claimed the title of this world's sovereign doing your job and answering summons to your own throne room is your responsibility," she chided him back in that queenly tone, like she hadn't snapped like a twig. As her eyes opened though she really couldn't stop herself. "Did you really change clothes for this?"

[Bloodedge]

Charlemagne had failed to properly call upon Gilgamesh. Artoria, on the other hand, would not. The King of Heroes appeared with all the pomp and splendor that many expected of him, but with no heed paid to his original caller. By the time Charlemagne finished wiping his face, he realized Gilgamesh hadn't even looked in his direction since appearing. No, he had eyes only for the Queen of Knights... and their interaction would begin as if they were alone. 'Oh. Wait... no way!' Charlemagne thought. Surely this wasn't the thing Artoria was talking about earlier. He knew the Golden King had some obsession with Artoria Pendragon, but when he last saw her, there was seemingly abject hatred in the other direction. On the surface, that seemed to be the case now as well.

Alas, there was something else. From Artoria, there was an outburst the likes of which Charlemagne couldn't fathom from her. Still, given Gilgamesh's words, he couldn't say anything about it. Gilgamesh himself could, though. He had much to say about many things, all in response to the queen herself. "Hmph. Why? Because it would be wasteful to leave the thought unspoken. And if you did not call me here for your own sake, your time has been wasted as well. Only a king or queen may inhabit this dismal canvas that calls itself a room. Only my queen has permission to call me to my throne," he said. In speaking, Gilgamesh carried a tone that seemed to have some underlying meaning. Indeed, this place was where togetherness almost began for them. He said throne aloud, but it would have been more accurate for the king to say... bedroom instead. Whatever the case, Artoria took note of his altered attire, and his grin widened. "I was called upon by Artoria Pendragon, was I not? It is only right that I make a show of it. Well? What say you?" he asked while displaying himself as freshly-ordained upholstery for the queen's appraisal.

[Apollymi]

The surprise of Charlemagne wasn't something surprising. He'd not been around for the growth of this particularly juicy tidbit of development. Artoria for her part in this knew the behavior of Gilgamesh way better than she'd normally like to admit, even so she'd managed to calm herself quite a bit since her little outburst. Gilgamesh for his part in this, seemed not at all discouraged by the outburst he received. In fact, if one looked at him, he appeared to be rather amused by the whole of it. He claimed her time had been wasted if she'd called upon him for the sake of another. "I will use my time as I see fit. I see no waste in helping another navigate the moodiness of an old tyrant," she commented as she sipped from her cup. As for her appraisal of him...

She looked over the rim of her cup. This was an ensemble she'd not witnessed before and she allowed her eyes to trace his always perfect form. Though she was annoyed by how much he felt the need to show off, she was also appreciative of the upgrade in his attire. "It is quite a nice view, I assume the accessories were your choice alone but not quite as outlandish as I would have expected," she said of his adornments. It went without saying that the designs of the Pharaoh Nefertari were without question top tier. "Still I did not call you here to appraise you," she said. "This is Charlemagne the King of Faith, who has a question for the eldest among us which only you can answer," she offered the gold adorned king her words both of praise and clarification. She wouldn't make this day any more awkward than it needed to be for Charlemagne nor herself.

[Bloodedge]

Artoria would use her time as she pleased, and she saw no waste in her current choice. That sort of bite was what Gilgamesh expected of her ─ what excited him time and time again. As for the end of her statement, well... Artoria was leaving herself open to a cheeky retort. "H'oh? Your moodiness is mine to navigate, not someone else's. Besides... you're not nearly that old," he replied. If she was going to talk about a moody old tyrant, Artoria should have been looking in a mirror mere moments ago.

The most important thing here, of course, was the queen's opinion of his new ensemble. He wondered how much reservation her response would have. What he got, was... that it was a nice view. What an interesting way that was to phrase her appraisal. There was a special note about accessorizing. Naturally, there was a reason he went less 'outlandish' as Artoria claimed. "An astute observation. I dared not bother with too much ornamentation. After all, I may need to rid myself of them. One shouldn't create too many unnecessary steps," he said jovially. Ah, but Artoria's purpose was not appraisal. She called upon him because of Charlemagne. A question could be answered only by him, apparently. Was he meant to care? Well, it seemed he didn't. "One who holds the Holy Grail cannot find their own solutions? It is not the place of Gilgamesh to uplift the incapable. Shall I treat it as a requested personal favor from my queen? Perhaps then, I may give it consideration," he said, as if he expected some form of recompense for being called upon for such menial purposes.

[Apollymi]

The words originally shared by Artoria were rather aptly turned around on her. A giggle erupted from within her cup as those words processed in her mind. Light danced behind those emerald colored orbs as her laughter filled that cup she drank from and then faded. She'd move it from her face for just a moment as that little bit of music died down for just a second. "Alright, I left myself open for that one..." she said calmly. "I still hate you." she said directly... ah but that was another of those contradictions. She said those exact words but her tone and cadence implied that she actually felt quite the opposite. Perhaps this was the 'complicated' nature she claimed to be dealing with, but it didn't really matter.

She moved on to appraising the golden king in her usual way. She commented about his appearance and attire. And received feedback which she expected but caused her to roll her eyes. "Why are you so shameless?" she uttered only to immediately follow up. "Do not answer that... it was rhetorical," she clarified immediately. Her entirely queenly visage was only just being restored, if she blushed she'd lose all her remaining credibility. "Right, I have to remember your lack of social graces..." she smirked. "Not all who win grails have jumped directly into foolhardy activities. He is not seeking direct assistance only guidance and what he plans to do will help us all," she mentioned in a rather lax way. "In this case, it is a question I would also like answered but I have not given consideration to the finer details... I suppose I do not mind bearing responsibility for the request. It is the least I can do considering my hands are currently tied. How do you kill a god?"

[Bloodedge]

Laughter. Here and there, the Queen of Knights collapsed defenses of steel in such moments, making every effort worthwhile. Even when crediting the rebuttal, however, she claimed to still harbor a hatred for the blonde male. "Is that so? Well then, perhaps you should let out your aggression against me. I welcome the challenge as always," he said. Surely that was a topic he wouldn't let go; Artoria could expect by now that it would resurface in due time. First though, there was a question that he was not to answer.

Why was Gilgamesh so shameless? He would have easily and happily explained himself, but Artoria had different plans. No matter. As frequently as she questioned him, that would also likely resurface. More importantly in the mind of Artoria, was the matter for which she called him. This alleged King of Faith required no assistance, but instead guidance. It made no difference to Gilgamesh. To ask his advice was to show a lack of thinking one's own way through an issue. Ah, but this was apparently something even Artoria sought the answer to. That made things quite different after all. "Well, perhaps you should have simply asked the question," he said. What did they want? Knowledge on slaying the divine in this world. Gilgamesh's eyes cut toward Charlemagne, who hadn't said a thing since his arrival. It was not a new query he was having to deal with. "Twice, I have been asked about deicide, and twice I will point out the stupidity of the attempt. There is but one way to eliminate the gods of this world, and it is by being beyond superior," he answered simply.

Surely that answer couldn't be all. According to Artoria, she had seen one god felled by another, and one felled twice by Gilgamesh ─ whom he heard was only part divine himself. "But... there has to be something else, right? I have the Power of Order, so shouldn't that at least put me in the ballpark?" the lad wondered. Ah, the Power of Order. Gilgamesh knew what that was, and in viewing the King of Faith, he knew it was in the younger male's possession. "Killing An? You would have an easier time killing death itself. To face the Father in your state would be to offer the rest of your mortal soul for claiming. The Dragon Witch holds the only gift beyond my coffers that may achieve what you speak of," Gilgamesh assured. "Your only contribution here is managing to cut the old god's Divine Authority in half to allow its removal from this world. Tell me, both of you... what do you know of prophecy?"

[Apollymi]

As always Gilgamesh welcomed any aggression the Queen of Knights had to offer him. Artoria for her part in this, would only playfully scoff before continuing to drink from her cup while chiding the man before her. "Do not start," she offered this particular man. He was a bit singular minded and when it came to her she realized his mind had a specific leaning. She would have him focused on the task at hand, lest the lad not receive the guidance he needed.

As the moved on to the reason he was summoned, Gilgamesh claimed that if she wanted a question like that answered she should have simply asked. A snarky reply would come form Artoria in the moment as she waited to hear him out. "I have not considered killing anyone but you for the last few weeks. Obviously, this is your fault I thought not to ask sooner," she said with an almost peaceful grin on her face. Of course, that sentence could have meant several things, and given Artoria's disposition it likely meant several of them. Gilgamesh though, did have an answer for her, making the claim that it was stupid to want to kill a god but to do so required one to be superior. Artoria had made that kind of assumption, she'd even hinted at it in her explanation to Charlemagne based on her observations.

Ah, but Charlemagne obviously wasn't too idle in this thoughts. He wondered why his Power of Order wasn't enough to level the playing field, but it seemed his target was a fairly large one. The Father he was called, seemed to be someone of greater stuff. According to Gilgamesh he'd have an easier time, killing death. He also claimed that the only one with a weapon which could fell him, was Jeanne, in her present form. This made sense to Artoria as well, vengeance was a powerful tool. But the lad was not to be considered utterly useless either, as he cut the Authority of that god in half. But Gilgamesh would soon be taking a turn asking what they knew of prophecy. "I have been part of a prophecy or two in my time. I know that they often only make sense in hindsight and usually trying to prevent them makes them happen," she said. It was a common staple in media and her own story included the tale of ,'the once and future king'. Whatever those words actually meant, she knew Gilgamesh did not tarry too far from the importance of subjects, so she figured what he had to say on the matter would be quite important to Charlemagne's journey. She listened intently for several reasons not the least of which being to help.

[Bloodedge]

Do not start, Artoria said. Oh, he was well past started already. What he wouldn't do, was finish... for now. The look on his face implied as much ─ this was far from over. First though, he'd deal with this so-called important discussion about god-killing... and apparently how Artoria had only thought of killing him the past few weeks. His eyes locked onto the woman. That time period encompassed a very titillating ten-day cycle. Her words and their meaning tended to be different, but simultaneously the same. "Keep those thoughts in mind. They may prove useful to you," he said. Aggression was perhaps one of Artoria Pendragon's more charming features. Whenever he could get under her skin in such a way, Gilgamesh relished the moment.

Moving on to the matter of prophecies, Artoria gave her answer. Charlemagne also had some familiarity, though no prophecies existed about him to date ─ at least none that he knew of. "I've seen them play out. They're usually heavily misinterpreted, and not nearly as direct as they sound... unless they're way more literal than anybody gives them credit for," he answered. Two responses were given; both were off the mark. Well, that wasn't true. Both answers were very accurate, yet Gilgamesh's point was a separate matter entirely. "Fools. Neither of you knows the root of prophecies. A prophecy exists in a moment and connects to another moment. There are thresholds to power. To become ultimate, one becomes the source of a prophecy," he explained. With that part out of the way, Gilgamesh pointed at Charlemagne to continue the greater point. "One prophecy is common among those who wield divine power. 'The power to vanquish a god approaches. The god will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the god knows not... and either must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives.' That is a prophecy as old as power itself, and though inverted in purpose this time, such a prophecy repeats itself time and time again. That is the prophecy we are seeing here. A boy and an old god, forever invulnerable to all but one another. One may consume the other, but neither can die while the other remains... unless a variable is introduced. That variable is the Dragon Witch whose power exists from a realm beyond to annihilate Anu himself. However, that itself is a curse that will afflict many in its wake."

[Apollymi]

Artoria was aware of several things, one of them being... that her direct words to Gilgamesh, were often interpreted differently from how she would have meant them. She also knew that little of what she said would be effective against the man. Instead she would take her little jabs as she wished and scoff at his antics. For instance the idea that she should hang on to the desire of killing him as it might prove useful to her. Of course he would say something like that... he enjoyed when she aggressed him. "You really do not heed the words I speak..." she murmured. It was the sort of thing that generally led to her lashing out against this man but... in this instance they had a buffer and because of this she could keep her façade if only for a little while longer.

Beyond this point, it seemed that Charlemagne and Artoria had similar ideas about prophecy. After all, they were similar company as far as their knowledge base was concerned. Ah, but this wasn't right either. Gilgamesh shouted fool and accused both of being unaware of the root of prophecy. A prophecy was apparently something which connects one moment to another. Were the words of Gilgamesh. Artoria quite used to this man's method and manner of speech chose only to scoff while thinking something less than charitable. 'Of course we do not know the root of things... some of us are not as old as dirt,' Even so she was still attentive. She heard his words about the nature of prophecy as it connected mortal and divine and it sounded... familiar? Maybe it was just some kind of fantasy trope... those were pretty common on some 'chosen one' style things. In addition it seemed the only one capable of carrying out this task was Jeanne, and she... should not given what their elder sister had to say about the nature of the power she currently used. This power balance was indeed quite delicate, but hers was not to fully baby the lad either. "So, what say you Charlemagne, does that actually help you?" she asked of him as she sipped from her cup. As far as she understood it, he had about two years, to figure out the power he had over his opponent. Find his weaknesses, track down his grail and strategize a way to murder him.

[Bloodedge]

A prophecy dictated that between Charlemagne and Father An, one had to die. He hadn't given that much consideration, but the entire topic of an absorption made it quite obvious in a way. From the sound of things, he was still wholly incapable of emerging victorious. Jeanne could kill the god in question, but even Charlemagne could see how much of a problem that would be. That outcome simply couldn't be allowed, he thought. "So the how is still in question," he muttered. Gilgamesh's retort was immediate. "It is no question. The how does not exist. Your only fate is to be consumed by Anu. The only one with the ability to succeed, is the Dragon Witch," he reiterated.

No. No, that could never happen. Surely Jeanne wanted that exact outcome in her current state, but that would lock her into place. Two years, he had. In two years, Charlemagne had to become powerful enough to avoid absorption, and powerful enough to succeed in defeating Anu. What a tall order. Whether it worked or not, only time would tell. For now, all he could do was hope. "That doesn't help at all, but... it also does. Thanks, both of you. I have no more questions," he said. Gilgamesh scoffed. "Hmph. To think, I adorned myself for this to be the outcome. For that, Artoria Pendragon, I hold you responsible. Come now, before we miss the best part of the show~"

It seemed things had become rather interesting wherever these two were before appearing here. Charlemagne would leave them to their business, but there was one more thing he now needed to do in the Nexus. His body was half-frozen. Up to this point, the idea of failure hadn't properly settled in his mind. He had to start considering contingencies. If his life and existence had to end, he should at least ensure promises were kept. Angelica and the others had to be freed of Aincrad's clutches, and Jeanne had to be spared a life of bitterness. Could he manage that? Well... he didn't have much choice but to try. Even so, there were some who had to be informed of the possibilities.

[Apollymi]

The how was in question, this was something that Artoria had been considering. Though she knew not the fine intricacies of the sorts of powers and abilities, she knew that a lad like Charlemagne technically had to come with everything he needed to defeat his opponent. It was simply a matter of figuring out exactly what all it was. Gilgamesh in this case would be of little help, he claimed the only one who could beat this father god was, the Dragon Witch, but for the sake of preserving her original self letting her actually go through with it wasn't something which could be allowed. 'That thinking of yours is still quite inflexible,' Artoria said of Gilgamesh. His words might have been the truth, but there was always hope, and as a person whose fate rested on hope she wouldn't discount the lad and his very earnest oath. She'd seen his conviction and she understood his logic, even if he could not do everything what he did would be magnificent.

There was a moment where Artoria should have replied to Charlemagne but instead the words of Gilgamesh graced her ears. He'd adorned himself for this outcome and apparently she was to blame. And what was more they would be missing the show... "I did not tell you to change, decisions you make on your own are your problem," she said to King Gilgamesh. "You are welcome, Charlemagne..." she offered the lad those words. Artoria reached for her grail and grabbed hold of her sword. Back to bearing witness to battles she went. Even so, the lad's plight wouldn't be far from her mind. They'd both go back from whence they came leaving the lad to his thoughts and his newfound reality. Likely this wouldn't the best possible news, but heroes needed adversity and those who walked the path of savior had to simply continue on their paths. That was how Artoria saw it anyway. She had faith that lad wouldn't find himself in too much trouble, at the very least the sword in his hand would be an apt companion...

[Bloodedge]

This was going to be the most hectic two years of Charlemagne's lives. He'd be left to it, as those he called upon were also going to be quite busy. He had two years before the Holy Grail appeared, and oddly, Gilgamesh would be keeping that two years in mind. Little did Charlemagne know, it would be made possible for Jeanne d'Arc to join the journey before its end. If nothing else, Gilgamesh would ensure as much. Left ignorant, Charlemagne could only bow as the pair took their leave of the Nexus.

Once he was alone in the blank white space, Charlemagne held his grail once more. He wondered if it would be possible to summon Angelica without the help of Albertus. Summoning others who possessed Holy Grails was one thing, but she was brought out previously due to the weak remaining connection between them. Could he manage something of that caliber? Well, the only way to find out was by trying. Once more, the grail filled. Once more, he poured out that glowing golden liquid within. Once more... reality itself opened. All Charlemagne had to do then, was find out if he could reach the right person. "Angie?" he called out, curious. The ripples reacted as if a drop of water had fallen into the pool, but there was nothing. "Angie!" he called again. For the second time, nothing happened for several seconds. Charlemagne stopped to think, visualizing the Holy Princess as vividly as he could. The portal had spawned; he just needed to reach the princess. Maybe he had to enhance the link between them? He did know of one way to ensure she could hear his call. With that in mind, Charlemagne took a deep breath and... "Luviagelita Angelica Edelfelt! Hurry up, or I'll be gone for sixty years!" he yelled into the portal.

[Apollymi]

In the mind of Artoria Pendragon, Charlemagne simply had to endure. The paths walked by those who tangled with gods, were never easy, but... a bit of skill and some hope, could go quite a long way. He'd be left, bowing as he was, as the pair of sovereigns exited the Nexus. Things in this world were set in motion a dance of fate was only a little farther off. And though it likely wasn't obvious, Charlemagne had quite a few people on his side, even if they would not directly interfere with his journey.

But moving on from those topics, it would seem that Charlemagne wasn't quite done even at the exit of the sovereigns. He would be waiting around and then calling upon another. A call would go out, for Angie? Well whoever that was supposed to be, they didn't show up immediately. Another would happen but it would have similar results regardless of his concentration. Something about the way that the Nexus worked, made it so requests had to be very specific especially for those who could not be called 'Grail Holders'. Ah, but that last one, with a full name, would have a semi armored young woman with long blonde hair that curled in blue, appearing within the Nexus. And what was more that thinly veiled threat would only get him a pretty aggressive greeting. "YOU WOULDN'T DARE, CHUCK!" was the exclamation of a greeting. Ah, but with just the two of them being within this space, she immediately wrapped her arms around the young man. She'd had quite the busy day, and it was good to see him well...

[Bloodedge]

Once, twice, thrice did Charlemagne call upon the Holy Princess of Aincrad. Two failures were counted, but that final outburst caused some changes. Perhaps it was the emotion. Perhaps it was the full name used. Perhaps it was neither of those, and could simply be blamed on keeping a natural state that played to the bond between them. Ah, and it was so very natural. Angelica emerged in the most notable and familiar way possible: yelling. In addition to yelling about how he wouldn't dare, she captured him in a hug. The grail he held wound up pressed against Angelica's back as his arms ensnared her as well.

"Of course I wouldn't," he said as their embrace solidified. "Well... not if I could help it," he added. It had only been a day or so since their last meeting, but that was a very hectic encounter with a few others present. Now, it was only the pair of them ─ just as it had been the day before everything went south. He wasn't sure if things were looking better or worse now. All he could say, in fact, was... things were moving forward. "So... there's a lot happening. You doing well out there? How's the hiding going?" he wondered. Before delving into all the craziness on his side, there was still the problem of Angelica being hunted in Aincrad. Her current status was much more volatile than Charlemagne's side of the journey.