Finis Chaldea

[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. . ."

[Apollymi]

Siduri watched Gilgamesh's reaction to the audacious approach of Ishtar and understood in the moment that he realized his mistake in approaching the blue saber. Not that she thought he would have gotten very far with that particular woman, but it might not have ended up a near death experience for him. Ah, but now Siduri got to see something interesting and that was the distinct lack of functional brain in the skull of the goddess Isthar. That indignant look only became more haughty as she threw her head back and laughed into her hand. Finally things were turning around, obviously by his own words he saw the fallacy of his earlier refusal. "Hahahaha!" she laughed shrilly and seemed very happy in the moment. "It can sometimes take much longer for ones like you to see the light But now that you've come to your senses, I can fully forgive you!" this was her declaration. Of course he couldn't mean anything else. Obviously, he and every other man should adore her. Any one of them should have been ready to give her what she wanted with no prompting. How could he have been so stupid? He was lucky he was her type, obviously she wouldn't have been so generous with her forgiveness if he wasn't.

[Bloodedge]

What? Ishtar was still here, still talking? While Gilgamesh busied himself with thoughts of recent events, that massive thorn in his side was twisting itself deeper and deeper. What was she even going on about? Forgiveness. She'd forgive him for refusing her. She'd forgive him for... listing the great number of terrible things she'd done in the past? Well, no matter. She could forgive whatever she saw fit to, but she would never be forgiven for taking Enkidu from his side. "Ishtar, the Queen of Heaven herself..." he started. A grand declaration was in order, so he stood. Down the stairs of the throne he went, robes billowing magnificently with every step. When he reached her, those crimson orbs appeared to possess almost catlike pupils. His arms opened to bare his full wingspan. Was it an embrace he sought? No. On Gilgamesh's face was nothing but a scowl, and in his mind was nothing but seething hatred. Surely a goddess of Ishtar's magnitude could bear the weight of such a grudge, no? Well... she'd have little choice. Divine Gates appeared in all directions, filling the space around Gilgamesh and that whore goddess. Nothing came of it just yet, but he already knew precisely what would come forth. "You wanted my possessions, did you not? Make your request, and I, Gilgamesh of Uruk, shall shower you in all the treasures of this world."

[Apollymi]

Ah, yes... Gilgamesh was acknowledging her as the Queen of Heaven. This was good, he knew his place in the world. He could easily be her favorite and best pet, yes... she could see it now. Him showering her with gifts, her able to accept them and live the comfortable life she's always wanted. Yes, she'd get him to dispatch the rest of the gods, maybe hunt down Metis wherever she ran off to, life would be good. She was busy in her own mind, so busy in fact that the opening of golden gates and this man's approach seemed to be just what she wanted. And what was this... his arms were open and so were a litany of golden portals. Oh how great, he was going to give her presents. "Yes of course I did. I, will take your possessions you can give them all to me! And I will happily accept them!" she said giddy about the things she was about to get. Yes, this was exactly the sort of treatment she was looking for. Finally her whims and wishes would be taken care of, she saw nothing wrong with it at all.

Siduri on the other hand, watched this whole thing with amusement. Yes, Gilgamesh had realized the wrong of his approach to Saber, and no he still wasn't interested in the goddess known as Ishtar. But what was happening now, was bound to be something closer to murder than anything else. The fact that the 'Queen of Heaven' hadn't figured out yet that there was nothing but malicious intent in Gilgamesh. He was going to throw his treasury at this woman and was likely going to try and kill her in the process. She would almost say that this woman was undeserving of such treatment, but she'd seen what Gilgamesh was like after the death of his friend.

[Bloodedge]

Ah, such sweet words. Gilgamesh would be satisfied this day. Ishtar claimed she would happily accept all the treasures he intended to shower her with, even saying he could give all of them to her. That moronic bitch didn't even know what she was signing up for, but Gilgamesh took solace in the fact that she, even indirectly, demanded her own destruction. "Again," he demanded. The gleam once present in his eye had become outright, burning effulgence. The ziggurat could not withstand all of his treasures, nor could the rest of Chaldea. Well... perhaps they could fend for themselves, or perhaps he could contain his rage long enough to avoid endangering innocents. Finally, Artifacts of all sorts were peering through the gates. Swords, spears, axes─ every weapon conceivable to humanity as well as some that did not yet exist, were present. Each tool boasted the highest quality achievable in this world. The moment his collection peered through from the treasury, his most trustworthy possession shot forth from all angles as well. This possession was none other than Enkidu, which was launched with the purpose of chaining Ishtar by the core of her body, every limb, and her neck. He would tolerate nothing less than total immobilization; he wanted that damn goddess stretched out to leave her every inch at the mercy of his collection. Should Ishtar find herself bound, innumerable weapons would remain waiting in their gates while Gilgamesh continued speaking. "Speak, whore, of how you thirst for that which is mine. Regale me in how badly you wish for me to rain the full weight of my coffers upon you."

[Apollymi]

Yes, he'd give her what she wanted. It was about time. There was nothing she wanted more than the things he possessed. His body was also a pretty fair thing to get, considering he satisfied her physical qualifications. "Give me all your treasures!" she said happily. What kind of man was he that he thought to say something like that? Well, whatever if it got her what she wanted, she figured that it would work out for her regardless. Siduri watched and wondered how long it would take before the goddess caught up to the fact that she was on the chopping block? What was this? Out of the golden gates came a set of chains, chains which wound themselves around the woman pulling at her limbs and sapping her of her power. Or rather, because she was as divine as divine could be... she would be completely immobilized. "I..." there was a pause. She wanted to be let go, but she still did want all of his stuff. Was this a thing she should say? Probably not, but would she say it? Yes. Yes she would, with all the indignation that someone who was tied up could manage.

"Let me go! You have no right to hold me, I should be free to accept all the things I want to take from you! You should give me everything you own with no grudges held, everything you have should be mine, accept and free me! If you don't I won't forgive this little outburst!" She was being rather demanding for someone so tied up. Even so, Siduri had to stifle a laugh. She figured she wasn't supposed to be witnessing such a thing. Of course she wasn't. No this man was getting his revenge and all of that had nothing to do with her directly. Obviously, in Ishtar's own mind, he was just still mad about his 'friend'. So, he was lashing out, but he would soon realize that he should just do as she said. She would allow him to take out his vengeance on the other gods who'd agreed to have his friend killed. Then they could live happily ruling the entire world together.