Sumer

[Bloodedge]

"Understood, Your Grace," Lancelot said, accepting that he was not to engage Gugalanna's current summoner under any circumstance. Apparently, there was a secondary reason for him being the one embarking on this quest. Of course, Artoria hadn't forgotten about the Round Table's loss of one called Galahad; there was no way she could. The interesting thing was that she chose to give Lancelot, the woman in question's brother, the opportunity to find her. Lancelot stopped his advance immediately, shying away his gaze with a lowered head. He ground his teeth hard enough for the action to be nearly audible, and his fist trembled at the thought of this chance being provided. Artoria gave her final words to him, urging him onward with the mission. Still, he couldn't move from where he stood. Her return path send her past him, but he couldn't look her way. Words of thanks couldn't be uttered; there were no words that were enough to voice his gratitude.

Ah, but he didn't have to bother with any of that. The moment Artoria admitted to why she selected him, he knew that she understood already. Being chosen out of the group of capable knights was something to take pride in, yet there was no greater honor than what his queen had given him this day. He couldn't even consider placing his own desires at the forefront of his mind in this case. Entrusted with a task, he'd complete it without fail. If he managed to also find something so personal to him, fine. If not, he'd be forever indebted to the queen regardless, all because she'd given him the opportunity. "Your Grace," he said in parting, having no other words he found worth sharing. With that, he was moving along again to hear from Belris.

Soon after...

Gilgamesh stood at the edge of the airborne islands, overlooking the sunset directly. He had been doing so for a few minutes, but now, he found he was no longer alone. Two blondes, two monarchs of different types, and both were burdened with unspeakable purpose. There was much to do, much to think, and yet so little to say. Once more, there was little that needed to be said. The world itself felt silent for a time, until said silence was broken by the king of Uruk's voice. "This amount of brooding is unsuited to the likes of you, Artoria," he said, oddly choosing the woman's name over some random, technical insult he'd normally use to address others.

[Apollymi]

In saying the things she did, Artoria knew how the lad felt. She, of course, gave him her words so that he could do whatever he felt was most right. She was content to leave him with his duties after that, and Belris picked up soon after. Lancelot approached and he seemed to be somewhat bothered, but she imagined such a task wasn't one most people were used to, nor suited to. "Alright, Sir Lancelot the Moon Door is all but ready for you. I couldn't get a precise location on your target, they are too far down. I am also without a great deal of information about them. For this I apologize," Belris started her debriefing giving a decent bit of weight to this Knight who would be risking himself for the completion of the mission. "The target you are looking for has the Online ID, Ookimichan. And they are using an Avatar by the name of Miki," she offered as much as she could. "The Moon Door will lead you down to about the last place I could lock in on her. She's pretty far away though so you may be off a little bit. I trust you have your own ways of catching up and or finding her," she said with her book still in hand. She also held out her other hand and within it was a small round golden piece which seemed to be a bit strange in its conception. "This is your Return Key. By taking it from me, it will be bound to your account. It will allow you to immediately port back to the Moon Door from below wherever you are. And you don't have to worry about anyone being able to steal it off you or gods forbid your corpse," she said. "I have given you all the information I can, about that... but if there is anything else you need before you go I will gladly provide that to you as well..." she said. She was doing her best as her King's Attendant. She wouldn't send anyone off into the world without the information they needed nor missing anything she could provide them.

While Lancelot prepared for his mission, Artoria was confronted by strange words from Gilgamesh while they looked out over the Kingdom. The moments of quiet were longer than normal, but they weren't exactly unwelcome. There was peace in these moments and quite a bit of freedom, two Monarchs did not often get to spend such moments of consideration alone without the pomp and circumstance of their titles surrounding them. As such she was a bit taken aback when Gilgamesh mentioned her by name, though not entirely surprised. "If you believe that then stop brooding yourself... you set the tone after all," these were Artoria's words which left quickly from her lips even as a small smile spread across her face.

[Bloodedge]

Visually, it didn't even seem as if Lancelot was registering Belris' words. He was, of course, but his expression was not at all there, so to speak. He had to steel himself before embarking, lest he make a grave mistake. How could he keep thoughts of his ulterior motives from surfacing, though? Time would tell if he actually managed it any time soon, but the current moment saw a need for Lancelot to lay claim to his Return Key. "Arigatou. I don't think there's anything else I need to know. I'll find this Miki, learn her motivations, and I'll be back soon with a report." Seeming to resolve himself at least temporarily, Lancelot stepped to the Moon Door and looked down. The spiraling stairwell was of no use to him. No, instead he decided to hop down the center, where he'd fall freely toward ground level. It wasn't the greatest idea, but one selfish decision led him to believe that if his sister survived the fall, he could survive the jump made on purpose.

Artoria offered an interesting rebuttal to the king. Fair enough, it was he who set the tone of brooding in this case. One could say the brooding was unbecoming of Gilgamesh as well, however Artoria was surely one who knew otherwise. There was a depth to the king that the people of Uruk as a whole did not know, and even could not know. He supposed, if his stopping was a prerequisite for Artoria stopping, then they were both due to continue as they were. As he stood at the edge of their world with crossed arms, he hesitated once more before speaking on the topic that had plagued his mind all this time... even if it wound up being a question he couldn't bring himself to finish. "If that beast is back... do you think..."

[Apollymi]

Lancelot didn't seem to hear much of what Belris said, but since he took the Return Key from her and headed down she'd done all she could. Of course, headed down was a term to be used rather loosely, given this man, this Knight decided to jump down the middle of the staircase instead of walking or running. "WHAT?!" she exclaimed only to watch on dazed. She hoped he would be alright when he reached the bottom but as she'd lose sight of him soon, she supposed she'd just have to consult her book to see.

With Lancelot's departure taken care of, Artoria was left to have a discussion with Gilgamesh. It seemed they were both going to be stuck in their present moods for a while yet, and this would be at least partially explained in just a few words. It seemed Gilgamesh had been thinking about what the return of Gugalanna could mean, not simply in terms of the potential negatives. Artoria's eyes widened at the thought as she mentally tried to piece together an answer which was carefully optimistic. Even so, it was one positive to potentially be taken from this time full of news which could only bring skepticism and dread. "There are many mysteries and magics in this world. If a miracle like that could also occur..." she gave a moment of pause. "I think it would be worth believing in," she said with a gentle nod. "Even if it's only a little bit." Artoria's words would have encouraged her own Knights, she wasn't entirely sure how one like Gilgamesh took the things she said. But she was earnest. She'd like to believe that if the deaths of two beings were connected, then the births of them could be as well. There were stranger things at work in this world than the idea of an individual rising again.

[Bloodedge]

An unwavering gaze was set upon the horizon below, and upon the world itself as a result. Gilgamesh didn't need to complete the clause he had in mind; Artoria knew what he meant to imply. She chose to teeter around her core thought on the matter, as if searching for the true answer within herself. The male could understand this, having rummaged through the recesses of his own mind for anything resembling the truth. Even though he had the ability to peer beyond causality itself, he dared not do so for fear of finding exactly the answer he didn't want. If only he could willingly delve into the Underworld again, he would be in a position to confirm beyond a shadow of a doubt... if a certain individual had been brought back to this realm of existence. "H'oh. Hope, you say..." he spoke in an unusually soft manner. Before speaking another word, Gilgamesh moved away from the land's edge, stepping inward again. "... Arigatou."

He didn't move very far when he began walking. Gilgamesh found himself stopping in an open, stone field outside of town. Once more, he was looking to the sky and sighing as he opened his stone tablet. "If Ishtar succeeds in finding Gugalanna again, she will return to Mesopotamia. Are you prepared for that eventuality?"

[Apollymi]

Gilgamesh was quiet for a moment or two after Artoria spoke. Even so, he soon stepped away from the edge of the world he'd been looking at, uttering his summation of her idea about the matter. She too realized it would be far too easy for him to look himself and find the answer. But in situations like these, sometimes the direct answer was less pleasant than the idea of a good alternative. In that case, all one could do to continue was hope. She'd done this herself with the fall of the previous Galahad, but this situation had caused her to have to act a bit selfishly as leader and ask another to potentially deal with the matter. Still, Gilgamesh's soft manner of speaking let her know he'd accepted her words and his follow up thanks made a small smile appear on the woman's face. "Iie, it's all I can really offer," she mentioned. As Gilgamesh was content to move now, she would as well. She took casual pace beside him listening in for what she assumed would be a continued conversation.

The topic shifted from hope, to preparation though. As talks of the potential eventuality of the return of Ishtar with Gugalanna, was something which she could only sigh about. "I have considered it since you brought it up. My Knights are prepared for battle, always. And I am already taking every possible step I can to ensure our potential victory," she said. Her calm head in this moment was an extension of years of practice, years of moving with the goal in mind and not the circumstances surrounding it. Even if the new holder of Gugalanna was nothing like Ishtar, the idea that perhaps it would be possible for Ishtar to still rise, was something worth trying to halt and more so than that something worth preparing for. "Though, if you think of something you need from us directly... I can offer it without qualm. I decided before this place is worth protecting and I haven't changed my mind about it."

[Bloodedge]

"Sometimes, all one can offer is more than enough," he stated with certainty. While standing in the field with his open tablet in hand, he looked down into the inscriptions found within the object. Artoria seemed to believe her knights were always prepared to do battle. Though he could see and believe this, being prepared to face a Kami-class threat was a different beast entirely. Having to face Ishtar would be equivalent to participating in the highest tier of Raid, well beyond the basic endgame of AoE. Those God Avatars were monstrous even in his eyes, though he rebelled against them nonetheless.

Something else he needed... Something more direct. Yes, Gilgamesh could think of a thing or two. He needed certainty. The one thing he'd managed to attach himself to in this world was long gone, maybe never to return, and yet he couldn't let himself lose more. Pushing forward was always a possible answer, but never a viable one. "Artoria Pendragon. You choose to protect this plane, swearing your life to it?" As he spoke, Mana poured outward from his tablet. It took the form of various pages, numbering a potentially infinite amount that flew into the air and swarmed around him. "In that case, the value of this world is not at all separate from the value of your life. What is that life worth? Show me!"

[Apollymi]

There was a strange amount of calm and softness between this pair of individuals. Perhaps because they shared similar burdens both seemed to find a bit less stress when alone together. Though neither were trying to do so very openly, they seemed to ease each other quite a bit. "Sou ka," apparently she hadn't considered this small thing she'd offer to be that great. But if it helped Gilgamesh then she was alright with it. But more of her would apparently be required right now, so much more.

Gilgamesh spoke to her in a way which made her brow quirk. Apparently, she'd once sworn her life to protect this place. She remembered this event, and she and her Knights had served tirelessly since their arrival. Strangely, he named her formally and asked her what that life of hers was worth, while showing her a multitude of pages produced from this book, floating about in the air. This couldn't be anything but a challenge of some sort. "I did," she said as if this was common knowledge and something she was proud of. He claimed to want to know what her life was worth, since she'd bet it on this place. And demanded to be shown. There wouldn't be words spoken by Artoria in this moment, instead as she turned she took a few calm steps forward while drawing her sword. As this motion happened several pieces of armor materialized on her person. Gauntlets fitted around her fingers and arms, a shining breast plate trimmed in blue, greaves hidden beneath newly formed armored tassels. Such an appearance had earned her the nickname the Blue Saber, sometime before. But this was now. And right this moment, there was nothing but seriousness in her eyes as his Mana had already flooded this place. Excalibur burned with white hot intensity as Holy Magic coursed through it. And her body held all the calm of a seasoned warrior, something she was strangely, since long before coming to this place. She held her sword at the ready and took a deep breath. There would be no warning when she moved, after several seconds of stillness she'd simply launch herself forward, sword parallel to the ground held up at the side of her face ready to parry, dodge or stab as she approached Gilgamesh's fore, which ever would be necessary.

[Bloodedge]

The pages which fluttered about from his tablet phased away by first dissipating into a golden, dust-like Mana trail. He had decided the course of action, and upon glancing in Artoria's direction, it seemed she was keen on participating in his challenge. Beyond anything else, he needed a moment to clear his head of previous thoughts. This match would prove as a suitable effort to do just that; of this he had no doubt. As he faced Artoria, he did so with a grin exuding confidence, much the way his general demeanor always did. "Come, Holy Sword Wielder!" he demanded, seeing the radiant glow of Excalibur as it was freed of its scabbard. His gaze was unwavering, locking onto Artoria's face and never shifting elsewhere thereafter. It may not have been the most effective way to keep track of an opponent, but perhaps he was just arrogant enough to believe it would suffice regardless. Perhaps.

The still air broke with the Queen of Knights' charge. Gilgamesh met this charge with a wider grin, which showed his teeth. "Gate of Babylon!" he called out, willing into existence the source of his power: the reserves of all weapons, treasures, and truly all Mystic Codes within this world. The first act with his treasury was to open the gate as a portal beside of himself, calling forth a golden spear which lunged forward at a slightly downward angle in time to parry Artoria's blade. Should this occur, the moment would be joined by a snap of Gilgamesh's fingers, prompting a second spear to descend from just above the woman's head. "Tell me, Artoria Pendragon, what form of arrogance do you possess?"

[Apollymi]

Gilgamesh had his eyes on Artoria, and she was more than well aware of this. Even so, her movements continued, he aimed to defend himself. She was aware of her surroundings, her sense for battle impeccable and beyond that she took the first step in her march towards Victory. In battle, she always knew what to do, always knew how to get from her first step to a felled enemy. In the case of Gilgamesh and this particular clash, there was less to know. Strange, she only had a feel for the most immediate of her movements. What could this mean? Gilgamesh opened the Gate of Babylon and in so doing released a spear towards the woman at a downward angle. She moved her sword to parry it, clashing against it with a fierce quality of Mana in her sword. Enough that one of less than equal quality would immediately show damage. At the same time the snap of Gilgamesh's fingers and the downward falling one would be met by something else entirely. "Avalon." A barrier formed above her, bracing against the fall of the weapon as she aimed to strike once more with a movement of her sword, slashing across Gilgamesh's chest with the intention to leave a grievous wound there while spinning in place intending to keep the current distance between them. "That much should be obvious, Gilgamesh. If you have no idea, there is nothing I can tell you to explain it," Artoria said.

The Queen of Knights wasn't being purposefully, coy in this matter. The truth of her arrogance was always on display, and something which would only become more obvious to those who didn't understand by facing her. Artoria was an upright individual. More than that, she was Chivalrous, to the point of fault. She attacked in a manner that her opponent would always see her coming. She used no trickery to overpower. Everything she displayed was outright skill and on clear display. When she killed she did so with intent. And if she passed a sentence she carried it out, the arrogance she maintained as a King was that of Honor. Beyond the call of duty, to everyone even her enemies.