Finis Chaldea

[Bloodedge]

The appearance of Nanshe was fated. When the king spoke of her eyes, she acknowledged them as... Goddess Eyes, strangely enough. Repulsive. Could any of those deities claim to have done no harm, after allowing such filth to fester? It no longer mattered. There was only one thing of importance now; such had been the case for over a thousand long years. The fact that Nanshe did not condone her brother's actions meant nothing, for it did nothing. He did not care for the reason behind those actions, for they changed nothing. He did not care for the distance he had to travel, or the amount of time it would take to find the water god, for he would stop at nothing. Luckily, the former goddess Nanshe came with information regarding that cur's location. Rather, she was willing to divulge said information in exchange for being the killer upon arrival. Gilgamesh stared. There was not an ounce of concern for the reason she desired this kill in his soul. "The scoundrel god's head is mine. What purpose would you have in approaching me, if you thought to slay him yourself? I will stamp out the last vestiges of the Age of Gods with or without your guidance, and you, remnant, will stay out of my way."

[Apollymi]

The King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, once a tyrant now on the verge of something so great. His journey was so far from over, and what he wanted was so pure in the depths of his soul. So, why indeed would the one called Nanshe be the one to ask him for the kill to take unto herself? What purpose did she have in approaching him, just to make an offer like that? Well, it should have been obvious. Perhaps he'd been left too long, he was stewing. She'd seen such outrage on a child's face frequently and she knew just how to handle it. "Oh? Have you really not thought it through? Or are you that used to getting your way?" she said most rhetorically. There was one reason and one reason alone for her to take such a kill unto herself, and it was because it was best for the world. "I wished to offer you the opportunity to give a hand to your bride. The one fighting with all her sanity for you," she spoke that sentence and knew it as fact. She knew when Artoria Pendragon was chosen by the sword that she was without question the vessel for the Spirit of Valiance. She knew what such a thing would mean, and she also knew that Enki could not break her in his current state. "It is exactly because you desire his head that you should not take it," she mentioned as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. "If what you truly wish is to end the Age of the Gods, then you Wedge of Heaven can not fall prey to that which tainted us. The desire for revenge even when warranted should not be acted upon with fury in your heart. The Queen of Knights has learned this lesson already but you must as well..." she spoke honestly to the man. "If you take Enki's head, you will become a problem more massive than he can ever be. Leaving your darling wife to be the one to deal with you. We both know she will, but it will cost her more than these thousand years of silence have... is that what you wish?" she asked of him seeming to not care about the fact that she was enacting emotional blackmail on this man to get him to see reason. "I thought better of you, but if you would forsake wisdom for a wet dog and drop your own chosen queen into despair I suppose I was wrong to defend you."

There it was. The one known as Nanshe, needed this man to understand that he had to stay his hand. He was the Wedge of Heaven, so if filth tainted him only a few would be able to do anything to stop him. This of course, included the most willful of the group. That would be permanently damaging to Artoria Pendragon. After all that girl had been through she deserved happiness only the one she had chosen would provide her. But if he stepped too far out of line, that same woman would kill him and it would break her heart to do so. This is the predication that came into the mind of Nanshe when she saw this interaction play out. The taint of the soul of the King of Heroes, the defiance of Artoria Pendragon and the decay and return of the gods. But perhaps there was hope, hadn't someone else once given him a similar message?

[Bloodedge]

Words, words, words. Nanshe spoke, but all she said meant nothing. Her offering of assistance was fine, but he took issue with even that. As for him "falling prey" to what those pitiful gods did, he would find the notion laughable if he were in any mood for jest. What would happen? If he killed Enki, he would become a problem? No. Even if such an eventuality came to pass, who would stop him? No one could if he cared to exert himself. The world would be remolded under his new ideal, but therein lied the truth of the matter. None could be as firm as Gilgamesh. If he were to change himself based on the will of another entity, the one known as Gilgamesh would cease to be, along with all his ability. It was an impossibility even for him. "The future you speak of does not exist," he said as that eerie glow in his eyes remained fixed on the redhead. There were several issues that he would proceed to point out over the course of a few moments. "Why then, should I trust you? You have done no wrong by me, and are therefore free of my ire... yet you know I have nothing resembling a positive history with your kind. Ishtar and Enki, who have taken my everything. Kur, who abandoned me in Irkalla to act as its judge. Enlil the absentee. An and Ki, who enabled these atrocities by their own children in a world that had nothing but chances to thrive. What then, is the crime Nanshe must answer for?"

He asked this question, but it was offered in rhetoric. With all that said, Gilgamesh had yet to address the real issue he had with this situation. "Your demands have no place in this ziggurat. My rage aside, that bastard brother of yours has stolen from me, and will be punished by my law. Spare me your foolish assumptions that enforcing the law is something that would affect my mentality, regardless of the state I am in when doing so." He was rambling just slightly, but he'd been agitated for quite some time now. He sighed, thinking to address one final thing before ending his side of the vocal exchange. It has been over a thousand years. Tell me your reason for this tardiness, and I will determine whether you should be judged guilty of crimes against the king as well."

[Apollymi]

The King had grown into an interesting man. This was the assertion of one like Nanshe. It appeared to her that he'd been one with future sight. Such things were usually reserved but they all tended to work better with a bit of wisdom involved. Perhaps she'd been a bit hasty. "Really?" she said seemingly surprised. If he well and truly thought he was capable of resisting such a thing she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, he'd be the first man to shun Ishtar, even if not as fully rebuked as one like her needed he'd not fallen prey to her, this alone allowed him to keep Metis' favor enough to argue for him. A smirk came to her face, as she found this attitude of his to be somewhat familiar. "I did not expect you to be like this in the time I was gone..." she said. "It is quite the positive change but you are quite mistaken," she said knowing quite a bit. "I have been on your side Wedge of Heaven since before you were born, free-will was the gift of wisdom. Trust in wisdom is not misplaced and it will never be. If you require more tangible proof than that... Siduri is here is she not? That girl who is part of me and my authority which coalesced when I cast off godhood after the injustice of the Chains of Heaven... There is no one who interceded more on your behalf than me, and none among the gods trusted in your growth more," she said this honestly. Gilgamesh had been a creation of the gods and every negative thing that happened to him was something that Metis had argued against. "Kur made you a judge in Irkalla after you had a close connection to the Chains of Heaven? Then she made it possible for you to judge gods, furthering your overall goals. I do not know how you wound up in Irkalla but I predict your earnestness got the best of you. A girl better suited for love, entrenched in death felt for you and the works forced upon you as hers were upon her. She considers you kindred. I hope you were kind to her. That was a gift," she said skipping on Ishtar and Enki.

"Enlil, is a bit of a shut-in if I am being honest. He is not innately a wrong-doer. He only consented to rescinding the Divinity of the Chains because otherwise their suffering would have been greater. From what I hear, he is also the reason the Great Mother Fae had the ability to tie the Sword of Promised Victory back to its owner. Try not to judge him too harshly," she said giving the information he couldn't have had. "As for Mother... she did try to help. It was her who locked Ishtar away in her temple to keep her from further bothering you. But she could not completely sever the tie. Father always overly indulged Ishtar and there wasn't much that could be done about her by us, several of us tried and only Kur properly succeeded in quieting her for very long," she said of the Mother. Four of the gods had tried very hard. "Father is an entirely different problem I cannot speak on his behalf, and knowing what he has done already I would not justify his actions. He would not take my advice even before I doubt he has gotten better when giving filth time to ooze into his sanity," she ended that sentence. "Enki was not always such a problem but he could not see what tainted him. He deserves his punishment as it comes. Ishtar, that stupid bimbo should have never been given godhood. She definitely should have been stripped of it long before she ruined the lives of so many!" Ah, that was a moment of fury made Nanshe pull back just a little and take a deep breath. "I told them... so many times. But no one listens. They should have left her authorities as empty as her empty head. Her death will come again as well I do not doubt it, and I understand why the actions of those two cause you mistrust, but not all of use are against you," she said finishing up that bit of speech.

There were many things said but her tardiness would have her judged. According to the Wedge of Heaven, there was a certain thing he wished to do. He wished to punish Enki for stealing from him. A smile crossed the lips of Nanshe truly for a moment she was actually legitimately impressed. Perhaps he was a bit prideful but, everything she'd heard so far said... he wasn't truly misplaced in his assumption. Actually, she'd compare his pride to someone else's greed and say... it wasn't entirely a character flaw. "Alright. Wisdom learns and listens, I am agreeable, and quite used to negotiating with pushy children. If you wish to punish Enki I see the fairness in that. But I still need to kill him though. He is holding a few Authorities that need to be pushed back out in the world. And he would not let them go. I have to take them by force," she said exhaling. "You do not remember me? Strange, I have definitely met you before..." she said thinking about it. "I am late because I came here... the long way around. I cast off godhood, and fell through the darkness. I left the wine-maker as a piece of myself and I ended up on the side of the world all of you are originally from. I had to use the game as a Key to reach this side again... it was unavoidable. I was also reborn I had to live to get involved to work to get back here. It would appear the Nexus is not quite working properly... it dropped me back well past the time I was here before," she said understanding in the moment what had happened. "Ah, it did not want me running into myself. It displaced me further in time. I could not have made it back any faster, and believe me I tried."

[Bloodedge]

In the wake of his chiding, Nanshe carried on and on once more. She claimed to be on his side, stating that wisdom was the progenitor of free will. She spoke of the wine-maker Siduri, the guide who kept him on the only path that opened his own future. She was of her ilk, was she? There were no lies in that proclamation. That alone deserved much credit, and that alone would have been enough to prove Nanshe's trustworthiness. Alas, she had more to say. She defended the likes of Kur, whose appointment of him as Underworld Judge was a gift. He did not ask for that gift, though it had been of use for seven years. She defended Enlil, whose lack of action was for the better in the case of Enkidu. Precognition was a thing of great annoyance when those types of decisions had to be made. Enlil could be deemed innocent by technicality, he supposed. Ki's partial defense would receive no favorable reaction from Gilgamesh. Merely locking Ishtar away was the bare minimum; at least Kur had actively done something to cripple the wench.

Last, but certainly not least, came the center of it all. Anu, the patriarch himself was mentioned. What had he done? Precisely what he'd been blamed for; he let the darkness consume gods that were already riding the fine line between reason and idiocy. Guilty was the Father. Enki and Ishtar were unquestionably without salvation. Nothing could ever be said or done to spare them the greatest punishment. If nothing else though, they were at least cause for decent humor. Gilgamesh could almost laugh when Nanshe spoke of Ishtar's imbecilic nature. "I will retain my hatred for the gods. Beyond even that, the gods have no place in this world. The Age of Man is long overdue, as wisdom itself should understand, no? You are allowed continuation, as are Enlil and Kur I suppose. The others will face execution, whatever the intensity may be." There was an offer to be taken into account. Wisdom learned and listened, she claimed. She would not stand in the way of his punishment, though she still wished to deal the finishing blow. "I will allow as much. You will be guide, and when justice is handed to that cur, you will be executioner. I trust you will distribute Authorities with the use of your own," he said, assuming wisdom would be applied as should be expected. As for whether he remembered this woman... there was nothing worth really discussing. It could be assumed that she referenced the other world, which he cared so little for that it was regarded as some silly dream from youth. "That world is irrelevant. If you met the one who wears the face of Gilgamesh during that time, it means nothing to me. Only one memory from that ridiculous dream is worth keeping. But, very well. I will accept your descent and rebirth as reason enough for absence. Now, prepare yourself, Nanshe. While you do so, it is time I called upon those who owe me... a debt, so to speak."

[Apollymi]

In defense of herself and her better liked siblings, Nanshe got a bit carried away. Actually, that was pretty obvious by the fact that she was answering to that name she absolutely hated. But what would come from that particular explanation? A proclamation that Nanshe, Enlil and Kur would be allowed to carry on as they were? Well, that was good. Enlil given his own personality was no doubt punishing himself worse than anyone else could. Kur deserved a touch of freedom after all that had gone on in her life and Nanshe had managed to live a pretty proper and happy secondary life, but would return the Authorities to the World the way they were needed. The King of Heroes even went to go on to show a great deal of understanding, as he explained how he thought she would go about the task and they came to an agreement. He could punish, she would kill... all would be well. Relatively speaking, "Ara ara, I haven't talked to someone else so smart in a bit. Of course I will, I wouldn't leave such things to chance..." she said of the use of her own Authority. It was a shame that he thought the Mother needed to die, but time was a moving thing, perhaps he wouldn't think such things later.

Whatever the case, he was calling in debts to be collected as such and it was likely about storming wherever Enki was. That was fine. He apparently did not remember their meeting, but it hadn't happened that long ago for her. "Oh? Such a hard stance on memories is a bit short-sighted. You'll never know if you might end up on the other side again~" that was it from Wisdom. Technically speaking she had every reason to believe her own daughter was hopping back and forth, and if that girl had accomplished such a thing, it was likely the higher ups of this world would end up with such ability eventually. Whether through meeting the girl herself or through their own developed methods. He told her to prepare and she would. The use of her Authority allowed her access to all the world's current knowledge, such a thing would allow her the ability to manipulate her skills for a moment instead of having any particular set of them to work with. And if she'd seen them actively in use, she knew their usage without question. Such was the nature of Wisdom when applied to something like combat. In this case, she chose the pace of vengence and the use of chain weapons made of that concept. It would be enough to damage even a god and would allow her to avenge all those sacrificed by Enki for his envy.

[Bloodedge]

"I expect nothing less. This is not an issue I will be dealing with a third time," the king stated. A few decades was one thing, but centuries to millennia was an annoyance he would never deal with again. Assuming his speech was understood, Gilgamesh rose from the throne. It was time to collect a few debts. first, he scoffed at the idea of that other world's memories being a thing of importance. "If one were to remember their own time in the womb, would it make a difference if they were to return? There is no point in harping over childhood when the time to become an adult is long past," he declared while stepping down the stairs. A short journey would begin, with the king bearing rage in his eyes and a grin on his lips. "Now, if that is all... I am going on a walk."

A short while later, in Egypt, a conversation was reaching its end between Pharaoh Ozymandias and a gray-haired, gray-purple-eyed young man. "Just release them, Ramesses! They will do no harm if let free; they are my people!" the pale lad called out to the throne. Ozymandias, fair as he'd been, had no concession to offer. It seemed there were a great many things at work in this country as of late. "This is the last time we speak of this. We will not let them wander and perpetuate the lies of a false god," said the pharaoh. At that time, a very... angry and arrogant-looking silhouette could be seen by candlelight in the throne room's far corner. Ozymandias took note of this, understanding that it was time at long last. Such strange timing fate had, but... there was nothing to be done about it. "Leave now, my brother, and do not worry for those people. Everything will be fine," he insisted, sending the man he addressed as "brother" from the temple. "Moon of my Life, it seems we're being called upon at last."

[Apollymi]

The King of Heroes likened the exchange between worlds as entering and reentering the womb. Apparently, he thought nothing of having those memories. this woman could see several issues with that, not the least of which would be the hardcore difference in lifestyle change. But, to be young and impatient was sort of appealing in its own right. She was sure he'd figure it out eventually. Predictions bieng what they were it was almost a certainty he'd find himself on the other side again. "Hai hai, enjoy your walk~" she mused, knowing that a walk couldn't have meant what that term normally meant. But that was fine as well. Speaking of other things, Nefertari sat atop their shared throne listening to the argument being presented by Moses about his people. A sigh came from her as well. She knew he meant well, but the gods of this world caused more harm than good. Specifically anyone claiming to be the one true god should be at least vetted before allowing an entire group of people to potentially fall to havoc. After all, they'd seen a god, sacrifice the entire lower world and his own empire just to steal someone else's wife. Whatever, the glowering King of Heroes appearing in the background seemed a call to rectify at least one of those problems. "My Sun and Stars, it seems at least one problem will be solved today," she said preparing herself for what would be a rather interesting turn of events.

Meanwhile, there were others to collect. At a lake called Dozmary there was a gentle glow atop the water. There was no one visible there, but it always seemed to hold a certain level of calm. Below the surface though there was a visual of something that looked to be a bit more sinister than most would allow. With platinum blonde hair and electric blue eyes. Across the top of her chest a strange blue mark that seemed to be glowing indefinitely. In a moment like this there was much work to be done, and there was a certain stillness in the water, irrespective of the obvious things going on through it.

[Bloodedge]

Only a moment after acknowledgement came, that silhouette was gone. Ozymandias gave ample time for Moses' exit before the pyramid detached itself from the great temple, taking to the sky. "I'm not sure which thing I'd rather deal with. Luckily... I have been waiting for a chance to finish what we started so long ago," he commented. A display of their surroundings appeared in the center of the throne room, along with a window that showed the open sky ahead of them without actually opening the pyramid. It had been quite some time since Ozymandias' pyramid took flight; he rather missed the sensation of being properly airborne. "There's never going to be a moment of silence, is there? World problems, local problems, more world problems all in sequence. I could go for a nap, honestly."

Meanwhile, Dozmary Lake received that same visitor. Still as the lake was, there was only one thing for him to do. A single pebble in his hand was thrown at the still water's surface, skipping across it to create a series of ripples throughout the lake. There were no words to be shared. He did not approach the lake for any casual visit or chat; the woman within knew his purpose. As such, he threw that stone without halting his own movements, taking leave for the next person immediately. One sister had been alerted, so the other would have to be informed as well. Onward he went to Jeanne d'Arc. . .

[Apollymi]

Nefertari would also be happy to end something happening for so long. "I too have been waiting to finish up," she said. There was something about an unfinished job or project which made Nefertari a bit antsy. She understood that she had no right to be so, as she was suffering less from the missing Queen of Knights. Even so, there was a certain issue of false gods, tainted gods and other such things which seemed to be a constant problem for everyone. The cycle of world problems, local problems and more world problems seemed to be getting to the male Pharaoh. Nefertari would slide a bit closer and give a smile. "It always seems like that. But when it calms down... we have a lot of free time," she said. "And then my Sun and Stars, we could always take a break~" she said giving a cheeky wink.

Meanwhile, that work being done by the fae in the lake, was disrupted. How? By the sound of clapping which rather suddenly brought her out of her work. Her eyes widened as her heartbeat increased by a great deal. "Really? He's gonna give me a heart attack, rude little brother..." she mused. Still she knew what such a thing meant, and she was ready to see her younger sister again. Actually, she'd been pretty close, close enough to help just a little but her reach was not as easy or as long as others. She could only hope her previous actions actually helped a bit. She stood in the moment casting herself upwards and when she broke the water, instead of the Platinum Blonde who'd been sitting there was the true blonde Fae Princess with electric blue eyes instead. "I guess I'll see about a ride." with that she fell back into the lake her aim to emerge into the pyramid. "Pharaohs, would it be too much for the Lady of the Lake to hitch a ride today?" she asked friendly as she always was.

Jeanne? Where was the Queen of Saints or rather the woman more accurately known as the Dragon Witch? She was in the middle of a battlefield. There were some knights she did not grant approval running around acting without the best interests of the world at heart. She would not tolerate this filth carrying on in her sister's name. These were no Holy Knights of hers, and given what she'd found them doing upon her arrival, her sister would not have approved of them either. So much disapproval was in this young woman, she was currently running a man through with a burning stake created by her own magic while moving her sword into his heart. The audacity of these people was well beyond her current level of understanding. How did anyone think these were Knights? How many tainted knights walked the lower realm pretending to have the best interests of the people at heart? She'd find them as they came up and slay them all. This group the 'Weird Fangs' had been killing and eating people... they weren't even Beast-Kin. Surrounding her, is what they were going but it wouldn't make a difference. She withdrew the blade and sheathed it, only to spin around her flag in her hands. She had every intention of casting a massive spell in the time it took them to close in properly. "All is evil here..."