End of Chapter Nine:

Gilgamesh smiled slowly at my words, as if somehow appreciative. "Good, find something to eat and finish preparing. We have a Caster to kill."

Chapter Ten: Firestarter

"I'm the trouble starter, punkin' instigator. I'm the fear addicted, danger illustrated. I'm a firestarter, twisted firestarter."

-The Prodigy, Firestarter Lyrics

Gilgamesh – September 4th – Morning –

I hadn't expected that she would start to see anything so swiftly into our time together. Kirei had never seen my past at all even after years of our partnership. Tohsaka? Well, we'd never resonated well to begin with, but he'd been killed long before he would have started to see my past. Yet, Kagome had pressed past them both in a matter of days. There was the fact that she had more energy than either of my previous mana batteries…but she also possessed divine blood. I didn't appreciate her catalyst but it was undoubtedly stronger than the others had been.

I didn't like that she'd seen something of Enkidu…that made me wonder if Ishtar wasn't somehow involved in the vision. I had no way of asking and I certainly never planned to call her out so instead I had to consider finishing her sooner. I waited for the girl, who at least was wise enough not to continue to press as she dressed and ate. Must the mongrels be so sluggish? It was nearly another hour before we could leave. I had to admit I was amused at the amount of magic I'd felt at the old church throughout the day. The mages guild was up in arms over the murder and disappearance of several magi, some not even on their rosters…once they found more of the truth they would probably be even more confused and possibly aggressive but I wasn't concerned.

"There. Ready to go." The mongrel announced having finished washing the bowl she'd used for the slop she'd shoveled in for her meal.

"You should eat better." I remarked. "I have to draw on your energy to act, it's a wonder you remained conscious after I used Ea, if you eat so poorly you certainly won't last as my mana battery through difficult battles."

"That could have been nice, but was just selfish." Kagome pointed out, frowning at my comments. I didn't deign to reply to her, the lack of appreciation was a sign she was either still quite exhausted or that Ishtar's personality was rubbing off. I chose to hope for the former and moved outside toward the vehicle I'd summoned earlier. She moved swiftly in front of me before I could open the door, her face scrunched up in distaste.

"You can't just take someone's car." She hissed at me in a faint voice. Glancing around and certainly there were mortals about watching us. The car certainly didn't belong here, it was far too poor a neighborhood and that attracted attention I imagined she didn't want. "Where did you even get this?"

"It's mine." I remarked, watching her display of worthless protest quietly turn to surprise. "I told you before I held every treasure of mankind and it shocks you that I possess a car?"

"I…uh…" She glanced at the car, to me, then back to people watching us and whispering around us before dropping her head a bit. "Fine, fine, let's just go. Everyone is watching."

"Mongrels often enjoy observing their betters." I remarked, opening the door for her and then walking around to the driver's side, smirking at the whispers of the neighbors.

"God…people are gonna think the worst…" Kagome moaned from where she'd slunk down in her seat so she wouldn't be as easily seen. Another fruitless act given how tinted the windows were.

"It doesn't matter. Whatever various stories they are coming up with, not one of them could fathom a tiny bit of truth." I shrugged at her embarrassment. "You concern yourself far too much with what others think of you."

"You don't concern yourself enough with it." She remarked and I laughed.

"No. I do not." I assured, pulling onto the road. "There is no purpose in it."

"I think it might help you to sometimes think about what other people might be thinking or feeling instead of just walking all over them." She was attempting to convince me in a diplomatic way and I chuckled at her barely concealed distaste for my behavior. I had to admit, her challenging attitude reminded me of my now lost bride…a pity but required for a greater cause. In Kagome's case she was tempered just enough by wisdom that she could recognize and pause when she truly annoyed me. No queen of the people by any means but an interesting conquest should I get her free of the parasite.

"The only opinions I need glance at are at those that interest me or those possessed by people that don't allow themselves to be tread upon." I replied, taking a turn in the road toward our destination. "Anyone else's thoughts mean nothing. When they're so easily pushed aside that is all they will amount to."

She rubbed her temples, a sign I was bothering her without her directly pointing it out. I chuckled at her distress. "You dwell too much on what cannot be changed, just relax. This will be over soon and you can return to the mundane life you adore."

"You don't worry enough about possibilities." She returned, though she was just talking in circles now. Women tended to do that when logic failed them, which was more often than most were willing, or possibly able, to admit. I didn't speak on it, I'd spoken what I would on the topic unless she had a new point to make. Her barking would have been more annoying, but it was still preferable to the incessant high-pitched whining of the parasite she was host to.

I could tolerate her crying out for the time being, after all she was just a child fighting for some control after being thrust into a storm of chaos, she couldn't really be blamed for the circumstances of her birth. That I knew very well…and the puppeteer was the one I'd save my animosity for.

Kagome – September 4th – Afternoon –

I felt like I was watching one of the old cartoons, where one person spoke, and the words went into the other person's ear and then came out the other. Were all gods this incapable of listening to a point? He was only half, the full ones must all be as awful as he claims Ishtar to be. No wonder he wanted to kill her, I was pretty much on the side of killing him at this point. I knew I couldn't…or at least I really hoped I'd made the right choice in backing him for this gambit.

He sat there, all but pointedly NOT listening to what I was trying to say while he drove the car. It was a bizarre thing, watching how naturally he piloted the automobile as if he weren't some spirit from a bygone age.

"So…you're a king from Babylon, but you know how to drive a car?" I asked instead. It was clear trying to make him act like a better person wasn't going to work so I might as well indulge other curiosities.

"Servants are capable of any skills their masters may need of them." He replied. "Though, I learned to drive outside of that during my time on earth."

"And, you have a car in this weird vault of yours." I still didn't totally understand that. "If you have stuff from my time, do you have stuff from the future?"

"I have all manner of treasures, several I'm sure you couldn't fathom." He answered, his eyes still on the road as he wove through traffic seemingly effortlessly. I had to hope a cop wouldn't spot us, I knew without looking that he was speeding. "You should be grateful I'm willing to utilize what is mine for your sake."

"It's not really for my sake, or I would be." I answered, glancing outside. I was past annoyed with his attitude. "You're only doing this, so you can kill this thing that possessed me. It's not for me at all."

"If you must constantly bristle at any compliment from now on we'll simply transport." He remarked, he didn't sound quite as amiable as when we'd first gotten in the car, but he still wasn't quite angry either. Had he really been doing this for my sake? Whenever he just picked me up and dropped me somewhere I was always disoriented and felt a little sick. Was this his way of being nice? He had an odd method of showing it…then, just maybe, there was hope for him to be more than the single dimension I'd seen.

"Thank you." I remarked quietly, still a bit frustrated with him but appreciative at the idea he'd thought of me at all. He didn't answer, and I was a little nervous to glance at him. It was strange being near with anyone like this after years of having separated myself. I could hear my friends telling me how silly it was for me to be all alone. They'd wanted me to get back out several times. If they saw me like this, they'd feel like I was dating. A bad boy again by their estimation, not that I could argue with that observation. Still, I wasn't looking for that sort of a connection, I'd never gotten over Inuyasha…and Gilgamesh didn't hold a candle to a real hero.

"Here." He had come to a pause, we were a bit toward the edges of the city. There were more trees here. I realized there was a large shrine nearby with lots of land, that's what he was looking at. The Servants were lingering at a shrine? I suppose he had mentioned going after the Caster class. Did the types need some sort of place? I didn't think so from our other experiences but maybe they felt more at home there. "There were a few here yesterday but it's hard to make out their presence now, perhaps Assassin is working with Caster, at the very least there is some sort of aura here that isn't normal."

"Can they do that? Work together?" I asked. I had assumed since everyone was wanting to be the last man standing that none of them would or could work together.

"The Servants are generally expected to do whatever they are asked by their masters, within reason." Gilgamesh answered me still looking at the shrine. "It is not unheard of for Servant's to work together until they're the last ones standing then turn on each other."

A horrible concept. Why bother working with each other if you just must then betray each other…I guess he was right that I wasn't really built for this. I followed him out of the car after grabbing my bow from the backseat. He moved to the front of the shrine, staring at the grounds. It felt…off…like things were just too quiet. Not a peaceful silence, but an unsettling one. I didn't hear birds or insects, and the air even just was uncomfortable.

"There's something wrong here…" I remarked quietly, rubbing my arms. "It's not natural here. Are you sure this isn't a trap?"

He didn't argue with my assessment, but looked far less concerned than I felt. Smirking at my final question. "A trap implies their ability to hold their prey, they lack knowledge of what they're up against."

"That's not a no." I pointed out, watching him with a frown when he picked up my arm. He looked at the small bracelet he'd given me and held his hands over it. He mumbled something in a language that wasn't Japanese and the small gem began to glow. I blinked at it then looked at him curiously.

"It'll keep you more secure. Try not to draw attention to yourself or it'll stop working as well." He explained all I could expect from him since he then turned and started up the stairs. I scurried after him. Did he really have to just ignore my concern? I got that he was strong, but we didn't really know what we were up against either. I held my bow close as we walked, pulling an arrow. I didn't like it here, I couldn't see any corruption, but it felt as though it was defiled somehow all the same.

"There." I remarked, backing a step as Gilgamesh summoned his armor around him. He'd noticed as well, a man coming to the stop of the steps. Not really a man, but a male Servant. Long dark blue hair was around traditional garb. A warrior by the look of the sword he drew.

"We aren't supposed to fight during the day." He commented, looking over and not even glancing at me. "Wouldn't it be easier to come back later?"

A few blades slammed into the steps where he'd been standing from behind him, forcing the blue haired creature to walk several steps toward us. He was nearly taken off his feet and was left with one knee on the ground to avoid the attacks. His gaze narrowed on Gilgamesh, who looked quite pleased…I suppose that was all the diplomacy my Servant was going to muster. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose as the battle started.

Gilgamesh – September 4th – Afternoon –

I didn't budge after starting the battle. I didn't have to raise a finger to deflect a swordsman when I didn't desire it, my gates could do that without me touching a weapon. Any angle at which Assassin tried to get in was halted by my own blades, deflected by the endless treasures at my command. I didn't have to raise a hand to defend myself or the girl still standing behind me staring curiously at my mid-air parries.

Kagome was suitably impressed by my skill, though I had to admit the creature before us was gifted enough. He was still attempting to attack while deflecting several projectiles himself. The sky was alight with gold portals and shimmering dust where my treasures vanished after being used. Had she been under the impression that I could only call them from a single angle? I had to admit, I had missed having masters that were of the proper mindset when it came to my skill. Her quiet admiration was a entertainment I'd long been denied in my summoners.

There was another here however, I could sense something in the forest. At first, I thought it must be Caster but as the first few blows turned into dozens I began to doubt that. Assassin had dozens of cuts, and while there had been no blows that were final it was clearly a matter of time before he wore down. I was more curious what a secondary opponent would do once I finished off this one. Perhaps they would be less dull than this battle was turning out to be, but more than likely it would be the same.

"Come out then, it is unworthy of a Hero to just watch from the shadows." I called, amused at the slight surprise that came to my current opponent's face. Not on the same side then? I let my attacks wane a moment as the swordsman jumped back, facing the new lavender haired woman that walked onto the path above us. Fools always seemed to think it was their place to look down on me, but she would be cut down, same as the rest.

"You should not be battling now." The woman said in a soft tone. "It is against our way, we battle at night to avoid witnesses. What if humans see you?"

"Our way…" I laughed at her absurd remark. Had they not noticed the spell over these grounds? Or were they simply playing innocent? I suppose it made little difference, the end result would be the same. It was almost always the same.

"I have already told him, he is beyond reason." The swordsman commented.

"I don't like working with other Servants, but we should fell him together." The woman remarked. "He breaks the rules of the grail war."

"What say you strange gold one?" The swordsman asked. "Will you back down and return later?"

I laughed at them, more gold portals appearing around us that shot at them both. "Do you think such an idea is a threat? Where is Caster? Why not have them come as well? The two of you aren't going to be enough. Perhaps I won't be bored if I take on three at once this time."

"You are the one that removed Archer, Saber, and Lancer." The girl commented, holding a strange long nail sort of weapon in one hand that had a chain attached to it. Her hair was quite long, and waved in a wind that wasn't there…she could control it to a degree. Interesting. Her face was covered…

"Medusa." I commented, amused at the surprised from them both. "You I recognize, but this one…he doesn't even have a legend worth knowing I expect. Still, if you both come at once, perhaps you'll be able to draw blood before I finish you."

"Girl, this is your Servant. Can you not command him to follow the proper protocols?" Medusa called out toward Kagome. I narrowed my eyes at the implication, raising my hand for the first time to draw one of my myriad treasures. Before, I found my lack of movement amusing. If she thought that I was some creature beneath another…I wouldn't mind cutting into her with my own hands.

End Chapter

Poor Kagome aha, Gil is such an instigator. Thanks for the corrections on my misspelling. Went back and fixed it. I am moving things along. To explain Kagome seeing by Enkidu and not Gil's perspective, that's the way it happened in the one game where you can get Gil as a Servant (too bad they've never made any official translation). Trying to stick to what I know of canon where possible.

-Aura

To my reviewers:

Storyteller – Yes, Ishtar is a bitch.

First Hero – I have a number of reasons. He's more tolerable in the novel but…I just have a hard time getting past his plot armor in the show.