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Thread: Finis Chaldea

  1. #41
    Things truly were turning around, though not in any way Celestia would find beneficial. By Enlil's own account, none would go without suffering to some extent as a result of this day. He felt remorse, even a hint of pity toward his fellow divine, but this was the way things would always have to be. They were all so... infected. He wasn't certain by what, but it had once leaked into Celestia and taken hold of the seven prime gods, only to trickle down into the rest of this world. Just as others sought to cut off the head of their problems in Gilgamesh, perhaps it was best that the world's problems be cut off at the head... through them. Strange though it may have been to many, Metis had a singular word to offer in the wake of Ishtar's uttered excitement. No, she said. Enlil's eyes closed once more. He had a fair idea of what would come next, and there was no stopping it.

    Just the same, there was no stopping the collapse of Enkidu following victory over Gugalanna. The Chains of Heaven had never been stricken by illness previously, and worse yet, this form of sickness was far worse than any human could ever manage. It was death, plain and simple, though it began in the soul. An understanding of sorts was imparted unto them, as if seeing a dream in a moment of waking. 'I see. This makes sense. Gugalanna, the Bull of Heaven, is like me, the Bull of Earth. From Enuma Elish... the Celestial Ox returns to the stars...' There was a crowd forming around Enkidu as these thoughts were gathered. They had fallen into the arms of their 'brother' Gilgamesh, and were being taken off to the finest bed in all of Uruk while the king felt a strange quantity of concern. 'And the soil that was fastened to the sky... returns to the earth. . .'

  2. #42
    No? What was wrong with Metis now? Yes, she'd not gotten her way, but that couldn't have been enough to make her pout in the throne room? Oh this was rich, Ishtar would have to poke fun, what with her constant commentary on Ishtar it was only right. "What's wrong Metis? Surely, you aren't pouting because I came out the winner here? Jealousy isn't very flattering," she said with all the vitriol of teen drama queen. Metis wouldn't be taking that no for a second. "Imagine trying and failing to find a character flaw in someone else, while giving away your own. Didn't you once decide to fist fight a mountain over it being a better topic of discussion than you?" she said. Kur laughed, why wouldn't she? It was a rather funny thing to say. Even a small smile appeared on the face of the blind mother as she sat impassively. "I said, no... I meant no. I meant... I will have no part of this, it is wrong. It always has been and it always will be," Metis said with finality. The fun of the moment had ended and it was time for Metis to do something she was always going to do. She was going to leave this place. "Since we are so content to live without wisdom, I will let you... I'm done," she said finally standing in the most calm manner she had in years.

    No one would say that Metis had anything to do with this situation. Today would be the day that wisdom walked out of Celestia, and the day the seven became six. She would walk away from being a goddess, she could easily throw away godhood. What did it matter, the ability to lord over mortals if no good came from it? Ah, but there was one more thing she had to say and this would be to Kur. She'd lean over the girl and whisper careful words in her ear. And once those whispered words had passed, she placed a gentle hand atop that young one's head. "Take care, Kur..." she said as she forced down her divinity. Moment by moment was casting it aside.

  3. #43
    Moments passed, until Enkidu rested atop the finest royal bed in Uruk. The king remained over that bed, taking one of his companion's hands as it reached out to his cheek. "My brother," Enkidu spoke. "Dear as you are to me... they will take me from you." In that single sentence, everything that could be understood about the situation, was understood. They, Enkidu said. One could only presume 'they' was meant to imply the gods. Who else could curse Enkidu? To do that, one had to be capable of cursing... Oh. One had to be able to curse Gilgamesh himself to some extent. Those beings above would go so far to tear him down? How laughable. It was so laughable, in fact, that Gilgamesh... wept. There was nothing else he could manage. Decades upon decades were spent in this world, gaining everything it had to offer, and eventually discovering even the majesty of friendship truer than any bond one could ever imagine.

    Now, that body sculpted as flawlessly as his own had been, was beginning to crumble. This was... death? Death was possible in this world, for people like them? Ten days, it took. Over ten days, Enkidu traversed multiple stages. They cursed a great many things, even including the Sacred Prostitute who gave them the true spark of humanity. Of course, they rescinded that final curse and replaced it with blessing in the end. Moments leading to death were harsh, and reacting to it all was quite difficult. In the end, there was but a final clause to offer Gilgamesh. "My friend, the great goddess cursed me, and I must die in shame. I shall not die like a man fallen in battle. I feared falling, but... happy is the man who falls in battle. I must die in shame. That is fine. Do not hate, my brother. I was just a tool." Those words were the final thing offered to Gilgamesh by his companion. As he wept, the king became outraged by that foolish thought.

    "No. Hear me, Enkidu. You have been no tool, but a friend... of which I will never have another," the king insisted. To this, though, Enkidu shed tears as well. What sort of ridiculous proclamation was that? "My friend, why do you weep?" asked Gilgamesh. "Because, brother... Who would understand you after I die? Who else would march forward by your side? My friend… when I think that you will live on all alone henceforth, I can’t help but shed tears…" And so, those tears proved to be all Enkidu had left. A hand fell to their side, and the King of Uruk froze where he sat. Silence fell for minutes on end, until Gilgamesh finally stood, trembling through his every word.

    "Hear me, great ones of Uruk. I weep for Enkidu, my friend. Bitterly moaning like a woman mourning, I weep for my brother. Enkidu, my brother... you were the axe at my side. My hand's strength, the sword in my belt, the shield before me... a glorious robe, my fairest ornament. Fate has robbed me. The whole of this world will weep for you, my friend... but none more than me. The young men of Uruk, your brothers, will go long-haired in mourning as though they were women." He shook further, reaching out with a hand that could not be stilled to touch the green-haired individual's cheek. There was no warmth to be found there, why? "What is this sleep that holds you now, Enkidu? You must be lost in the dark... and cannot hear me," he surmised. Yes, that was it. Enkidu was merely resting and playing another foolish prank like the days of old between them, right? They would wake eventually, he was sure. A veil overhead, as if veiling a bride, would send his friend off to a peaceful rest for the time being. Damned be those who came to collect the body for burial. Enkidu would wake, surely. But... why then, when the king touched his heart, was there no beat to be found?

  4. #44
    Ishtar scoffed. Obviously that mountain deserved to be felled, it stood between her and the attention she deserved. Alas, Ishtar would never truly understand the insults she received. Her pompous attitude made her ignore such things, especially from people on equal footing, she'd only consider something an insult if she thought she could win a fight against it. And strangely though she hated Metis, she didn't consider that woman one she could challenge directly. No, she'd need more brute strength for that... she needed, Gilgamesh. Or, maybe not. Whatever Metis was doing, it seemed like she was saying good bye, to Kur only. There was a weird feeling coming off of her, the Mother turned to Metis and her crimson eyes met that one's covered ones. A single nod would happen between them, whatever was happening here, Ishtar didn't get it. But the cleverer women did. One final look would happen and it would be to Enlil. Why? Because there was something strange about the fact that he made his decision. Maybe they had an understanding or maybe it was something else, but whatever the case, she had no qualm with him either. At this moment the foundation of Celestia shook. Enough had been forced down and now it was time. Metis became a shining ball of light and after clearing Celestia she shot off into the distance a ball of shining light to cover the night sky, mourning the death of a hero and a friendship.

    Speaking of mourning, the entire city of Uruk was in mourning. All felt sadness when Enkidu fell sick and when the king mourned his people mourned. Along with him, in the private of her room, a specific sacred prostitute mourned as well. She'd told Enkidu she'd wait for him and she meant it. Her sadness fell in tears as she stripped herself of fragrant flowers and cried at the death of her lover. What more could she do, nothing would be fun or happy for her, now that he was gone.

  5. #45
    What Metis was doing... no, surely she couldn't be making such a rash decision. Goodbyes were offered, both verbal and silent, and Anu observed in shock. He could see it coming only in the final moments. Worse yet, it was almost as if he could feel the descent of a god happening. Frankly, he was somehow surprised by this turn of events. "Sacrilege," the old god muttered. Nothing was to be done about this, sadly. Some would know regret, and some would know satisfaction as the goddess governing Wisdom abandoned her post. Regardless of any individual's opinion on the matter, there were now six in this dysfunctional 'family' of supreme beings.

    Seven days passed as millennia would, and still, Enkidu did not wake. Golden locks littered the room, as the king spent seven days and seven nights pacing about the room, tearing out his hair in grief, even ripping apart his royal robes and leaving them to the floor as if they were abominations. What was the point of them anyway? To be a mark of his supremacy? There was no purpose in such a thing, if he couldn't even sustain or return the life of his truest companion. On the seventh night, something would finally spark proper movement in the King of Uruk. He looked to Enkidu's veiled body once more. He touched it, and in return, it touched him. There was no movement of hands from the fallen lump of clay; no, the Chains of Heaven in tool form emerged from the body. Gilgamesh could not realize that in all the time he spent wishing for his friend's return into his arms, the chains were waiting until the clay around them became brittle enough to meet the king's hand. Those chains wrapped around his left arm, and he clenched his fist. "I see. Is this all you have for me, my brother? Gone from this world, shall I be forced to carry your corpse as a constant reminder?" he wondered through gritted teeth. His lip bled, as did his palm. A fear had been setting in over the past several days. What purpose did all their days together serve, if they were just going to die at the end of it all? Gilgamesh himself was here to perpetuate Enkidu's glory, but what of the day he died in such a pathetic way? His mourning, when he finally left that room, carried him out into the wilderness beyond Uruk's walls. A proclamation was made on his way, for all the masons to fashion a statue in Enkidu's honor. Tales of one called the Faraway were in his memory; one who entered the assembly of the gods, and had the key to true immortality. He could find that person, and if he found them, he could find the way to live on forever as his friend deserved before being so wrongly taken from him.

  6. #46
    Sacrilege? Was that what had just taken place. The mother's head inclined gently. It was Metis' choice to make. She felt this way about all of her children and Metis was included. Metis was one who made a decision and made the wisest one within her mindset. There was nothing but motherly pride in the blind and mute woman for the redheaded one who'd left. Of course, she began to ponder something else, if Metis made the wisest and most compassionate then what choices had the rest of them made? That was something to ponder, and as all else, she'd do it in silence. Kur for her part in this, returned to the underworld. Her domain as it was explained to her by Metis. Someone had to welcome the new Hero and hold the boundary between life and death.

    At the same time, the death of Enkidu had a huge impact on the city of Uruk. And an even greater impact on its king. Days of mourning and then a new purpose. The king emerged and began a new journey. He gave instructions and they would be followed and the city would continue on... but to what end... none could know.

  7. #47
    And so was the beginning of a long journey. Days passed and became weeks, which became months, which became many long, troublesome years. The hedonist king lived off the land during this journey, wearing the skin of lions as clothes, the age of his mourning shown in the wild growth of his hair. He searched for his father, reported to have entered the assembly of the gods and attained immortality. What he found after years of searching was not Utnapishtim, his father, but instead to the mountain of Mashu where the two 'Scorpions' guarded gates as high as the wall of heaven. They were such terrifying creatures, half man and half dragon with stares that could strike death into men. One was male in design, shirtless and magnificent as the king himself. Crimson optics met a pair of an even deeper hue for the first time in Gilgamesh's life, and in that moment, the king shielded his eyes for the length of a single moment. What was this? These two creatures, they had auras even the likes of him could not fathom. Was this his reckoning to follow Enkidu's path?

    No. Not yet; he would find his target and live on in glory for himself and Enkidu alike. With that in mind, he steeled himself and stepped forward with courage. How strange, the male Scorpion seemed to think. None were ever so bold as to step toward them, but this one... it seemed he was precisely the man they thought he was. The Man-Scorpion called to his mate, "This one who comes to us now is flesh of the gods." These words were spoken from atop a mighty throne, which seemed part of the rightmost pillar of the closed gate. As for the gate itself, none could understand its true majesty. There was an ominous air leaking through the space betwixt doors, reeking of nothing and everything simultaneously. Whatever was beyond it, even the gods wanted nothing to do with. . .

  8. #48
    The male Scorpion was calling to his mate, stating the nature of this golden haired man before them. His mate, a while haired large horned individual was stretched across his throne. Her body laid softly as she turned her head towards that one. Oh, a long tail snaked up the side of throne as if draped for decoration. Those eyes of hers, a crimson type red, almost hued pink with white crosses in the middle. She looked upon the man and replied to her mate instead. "He is two-thirds god," she said as if thinking for only just a moment. "And one-third man." There was some finality in this, but it was almost as if this creature didn't enjoy speaking. But here she was, waiting at this gate, with her mate... for some reason. What did these two guard and why had it been so long since they'd seen anyone else? Why did a man approach them at all, and what would he get out of coming here? Well, all those questions would have but one answer and they would be for the blonde man before them to answer.

  9. #49
    Those eyes. Those strange eyes, even stranger still than those possessed by the divine king, Gilgamesh. The mate of this Man-Scorpion spoke of his origins, peering through eyes with crosses he could not see within. For whatever reason, this additional visual could not be seen by the king, just as he could not see the bursts present in her the raven-haired Man-Scorpion's vermillion orbs. There was a blur around the pair of them. Perhaps he was simply tired. Ah, but one could never avoid witnessing those tails. While one draped over the throne, another with the bearing of a daggertail lay over it, shifting about it like a mating serpent. "Hm," the male muttered before calling out to the child of the gods. "Why have you traveled so far? You crossed the waters of a world above the sky... for what purpose? Tell us why you're here," the Man-Scorpion ordered.

    Gilgamesh had never taken another's command, but here, he could not simply have his way. Since the moment Enkidu fell ill, he felt as if nothing had ever been his way, but instead some cruel fate that toyed with him like a child's plaything. As such, he didn't think twice before answering these strange beings. "For Enkidu. My friend; I loved him dearly. Together we endured all kinds of hardships. On his account, I have come, for he has been taken from me. I have wept for him day and night. I would not give up his body for burial; I thought my friend would come back because of my weeping. Since he went, my life is nothing; that is why I have travelled here in search of Utnapishtim my father. Men say he has entered the assembly of the gods, and has found everlasting life. I have a desire to question him concerning the living and the dead," the blonde king explained. The Man-Scorpion quirked a brow upon hearing this, as if an age-old question had finally been answered in a very interesting way. After a single glance toward his mate, he spoke aloud. "No man born to this world has done what you ask. For mankind, this gate is the only way, but there are twelve leagues of darkness between here and wherever you wish to appear. There is no light. Your heart, your soul, will be flooded with maddening darkness and the full weight of endless nothing. That sums it up, no?" he said, concluding with a question for the female of the pair.

  10. #50
    The male asked why this blonde made his way to them and the answer they were given was quite different. A pompous young king had been walking the land coming all the way to this place, because of the death of his friend? Oh, it wasn't just a friend. The person who died here, was someone he felt for at the core of his being. It was strange to hear from one like him and it was... sweet. The ending of Enkidu was sad, but his friend being so moved by it, was beautiful. A single moment of eye contact, between the Man-Scorpion and his mate before the male spoke once more. He gave the King of Uruk, an understanding of the depths that he was going into. Of course, he was missing a few minor details. No matter, the mate would roll slightly and give a simple headshake.

    "No," she answered as she rolled her eyes rather casually. "You forget the part where he has to maintain the strength to move forward or fall into endless darkness," she stated while casting her gaze slightly towards the blonde before resettling her gaze on her mate. Her tail above just wrestling with his, "But besides that... yes, you covered the simplest aspects," she said. Would it be worth it? Would he still wish to push forward? Was the best humanity had to offer, really ready for what lay beyond? Hm, well, they would see.

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