Lancer's POV
I was born from a clump of earth. Clay sculptured and shaped by the hands of the gods with the ability to turn into all of creation. My father was Anu, the King of the Gods. My mother was Aruru, the Goddess of Creation.
My eyelids opened thanks to a faraway voice I heard. I woke up in a wasteland. The earth and the sky stretched out as far as my eyes could see.
There was a massive fortress city in the distance that stood out against the scenery.
Though I was given incredible power, there was no rationality or intellect in me after my awakening. My parents could not breathe a soul into me. Because of that, I was simply another creature that ran through the fields with other animals.
However, I did have a purpose. Upon my creation, I was given a task.
"Chain, you will bring the linchpin back to us."
But I was unable to fulfill that task in my current state. I lacked a soul and human will. All I could do was live, wild and untamed. Still, I was content running through the wilderness every day with other beasts. It may not have been perfect but I felt nothing about with it.
However...
I sometimes stopped to look at the fortress on the horizon. I felt as if someone was calling me. It was not my father or my mother.
As my first step to fulfilling my mission, my father instructed me to venture into the Cedar Forest and learn about humanity from a beast named Humbaba, the guardian of the forest.
Humbaba was the child of Utu, the god of the sun, justice, morality, and truth. It was created with the sole purpose of being a complete human being, possessing the innocent heart of a young girl. However, its bestial form only demonstrated how out of touch the gods were with humanity. It was a bald creature as tall as a small building with four arms, a tail, and no eyes. The fangs in its maw and the claws on its paws were sharper than anything on earth.
Upon first meeting Humbaba, I observed it letting out a cry of perpetual hate and unending resentment for the whole world.
I slowly approached it. Humbaba noticed my presence not long after and looked at me with its empty face.
"Chain," it said. "It was foretold that you would come here."
It was the first time that I heard human language. It was so much different, so sophisticated, from the language the animals in the wilderness spoke.
I replied in animal language that my father instructed me to come here to learn about humanity so that I could fulfill my purpose.
"In accordance with the will of the gods, I will teach you what I know," Humbaba said. "You can begin by imitating my language. That is how these humans communicate."
I adjusted my vocal cords to emulate the language Humbaba used. It felt strange at first, but I quickly grew used to it.
"I… understand," I said. "Then, can you teach me more about humans? What do they look like? What is the difference between them and other animals?"
Humbaba looked at me for a moment. It looked as if it was deep in thought.
"I cannot give you a sufficient answer to those questions as I lack that knowledge," Humbaba answered. "I have never left this forest since my creation and have only caught mere glimpses of humans and their civilization. At the very least, I can teach you how to properly communicate with these beings."
I befriended Humbaba as a fellow beast, even if in the end the only thing I learned from it was how to interact with humans.
Before our parting, I erected a garden in the forest for it and made a circlet of flowers that Humbaba placed on its head. Then, I ventured aimlessly through the wilderness again, waiting for my next instructions.
Lamenting my lack of human reason, my father sent me Uruk's divine harlot, Shamhat. Until that point, I have never seen a human or looked into a mirror, so I learned much about myself.
Over the course of seven days, my knowledge grew, I was also taught logic, and rational thought. I learned the ways of heaven and earth. I assumed her form because I found her beautiful. I was given a soul to fulfill the task thrust upon me.
"Enkidu."
Thus, I spoke my name for the very first time. The world, which had once been so simple, was no longer so. My role was finally clear.
I had to impose divine judgment on Gilgamesh and reign in his arrogance.
And so, I ran across the wasteland like a shooting star. My artificial heart danced with joy. At last, I could fulfill the meaning of my existence and give my life for it, if necessary. Divine punishment for someone similar to me, another puppet made by the gods.
But when I found him, he was still a child. Unlike me, he would grow. Unlike me, he also had the blood of humans in him. Until he reached adulthood, I could not fight him. I could not serve as a warning to him if we did not fight on equal terms.
And so, I waited. I gazed at the fortress city of Uruk from afar day and night, counting the days until he would reach adolescence. It was during that time that I realized that the voice calling to me came from somewhere within the city.
In childhood, he had an aura of royalty around him, surpassing any other on earth. Open-mindedness, prudence, justice, and benevolence. He valued and expressed these virtues at all times. The people loved him and would sing his praises. He appeared the ideal boy-king.
One day, I saw him traversing the streets of Uruk as he does regularly. However, this time he was cloaked and wearing a hood to disguise himself. I kept a close eye on him as this was highly unusual.
He was doing nothing out of the ordinary. I was perplexed to see him blend in with the people so seamlessly and watch the people of Uruk go about their daily lives.
I went a little closer, but still remained far enough as to not be detected or spotted by him. I was able to blend in with my environment thanks to my ability to change my form and shape at will.
He went to the market and purchases a fruit there to eat. He had his hood drawn so deep that the woman selling it to him did not recognize him. Without the disguise, she would have definitely given him the food for free.
I began to understand. Whenever he was taking a tour through Uruk, the people were happy to see him and he was showered with praise. Perhaps this was a way for him to take a tour through the city without causing a commotion.
He went on with his stroll, devouring the fruit without a care in the world. I saw a man not too far from his position, carrying a lot of baskets with all kinds of goods. Because of that, he could barely see in front of him.
Before the man knew, he collided with Gilgamesh on the street. His baskets fell down and scattered the goods on the ground.
"Ah, damn it," the man cursed as he got back up.
"Here, let me help you with that," Gilgamesh said, picking up one of the baskets and handing it to him.
The man looked at the young child in front of him for a moment. His eyes widened in shock when he recognized the person under the hood.
"Y-You are-" he fumbled with his words.
"Just a kid enjoying the daily life here in Uruk," he replied, smiling. "I am sorry for bumping into you. I should have been more careful and paying attention to where I was going."
I was confused. I expected to find a tyrant who oppresses his people, but found a polite and modest boy instead. The gods must have made a mistake in saying he had grown proud. The young Gilgamesh had no faults in need of punishment.
If there was a problem, it was that while he did honor the gods, he did not submit to them.
Whenever it was time to pay dues to Anu at his dedicated temple in Uruk, Gilgamesh followed etiquette and observed the appropriate sacrifices for him. However, unlike the rest, he did not go out of his way to please the gods with additional tributes or the like. He merely maintained the status quo instead of bringing the humans under the control of the gods.
Years passed and the boy grew into a young man. I realized that the gods had been correct. In only a few years, he became a completely different person. Despotism, tyranny, coercion, levies, and as much luxury as possible to satisfy his own selfish desires. He indulged in worldly pleasures while his people suffered.
He did not wander through the city as much as he did in his childhood. But every time he did, there was an aura of nervousness around him. Merchants and common folk bowed their heads in reverence the moment they saw him, for looking at the king without his permission is a severe crime. It was as if they were surrounded by a hungry lion that could end their life on a whim.
"Why did it come to this?" the people of Uruk lamented.
"We never thought it would go this far," the gods grieved.
But I knew the reason for his change. I knew so well, it hurt.
This conclusion was already predetermined at his birth. He was alone. A creature neither human nor god. Having the characteristics of both sides, his view ranged so far and wide that not even the gods themselves could understand the things he saw.
An excess of power led to an excess of loneliness. None could understand him. His values and views were fundamentally different than those of humans. He treats good and evil equally, having no need for other ideologies and ways of life when the absolute basis is himself.
To him, all living beings were either dying or mortal. If he decided that someone's life had to end now, it did not matter if it was a man or a god before his judgment.
Still, he did not give up his place as king. He would not abandon the purpose he had given himself.
He earnestly respected the gods and loved humans. But in the end, he chose the path of abandoning the gods and hating humans.
The time had come for me to step in. I entered the city and met the king on Celestial Hill near the ziggurat of Uruk.
"You intend to punish me?" Gilgamesh asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That is correct. I will set your arrogance aright with my own hands," I replied.
What I should have said was loneliness, not arrogance, but I did not want to wound his pride.
Our battle was fierce, lasting three days and three nights. During the battle, I transformed into a sword, a shield, a spear, an axe, and a beast among other things.
Faced with an opponent who could transform into all of creation, Gilgamesh mustered all the power at his disposal.
"You, how can a mere lump of earth rival me?!" He scoffed.
I do not know if it was surprise or anger he felt for encountering his equal for the first time. In the heat of battle, he opened the Gate of Babylon and took his prized treasures in hand.
I believed there was nothing more disgraceful for him than having to draw out the treasures he held so dear. At first, he did it out of necessity, but by the end, he was throwing them all out into the fray with joy, holding nothing back.
At sunrise, he had emptied his treasury and I had lost almost all of my clay. I looked very thin and ragged, only held together by my clothes.
Gilgamesh burst into laughter and collapsed to the ground face-up. In imitation of him, I fell to the ground as well and took a deep breath.
"Both of us are at our limit and with only one last move left. I suppose there will be two foolish corpses lying around if we don't defend as well," he said.
"Do you not regret using up all your treasures?" I asked.
"Why should I not use them for an opponent who requires it?" he responded.
After that day, I was always by his side. He would never stop collecting things but he did use them from time to time thanks to me.
"There has been disorder in my vault ever since you showed up," he said. "I must have caught your stupidity to fight by throwing treasures."
We ventured beyond Uruk's walls in the following years several times. I helped Gilgamesh in adding more treasures to his collection while we eliminated threats to Uruk. During that time, I saw much of the world together with him and encountered many other humans. It was fascinating to me how every human is so different from one another.
One of our endeavors led us to Kutha because a herd of demonic beasts was sighted in its vicinity. The citizens bowed their heads at our arrival.
A man in robes of higher quality than the other citizens came running from the city and stopped in front of us.
"My king," he said, bowing his head. "To what do we owe this unexpected honor, if I may ask?"
"We are here because of the reported sightings of demonic beasts," Gilgamesh replied. "Do you have any information on this matter?"
"Yes, my king," he replied. "In the last two days, some of our farms in the outskirts have been attacked under the cover of the night. We have a map highlighting the places of attack. Right this way."
The governor led us further into the city while I observed the environment around me. I noticed that Kutha is not much different from Uruk. However, there were some differences in the style of the buildings and in the clothing of the people.
I observed the construction of a temple dedicated to Ereshkigal while Gilgamesh was talking to the governor. It was interesting to see every single human fulfill a different role. Each of them had different strengths, skills, and talents which all contributed to the bigger picture. People with more physical strength did the heavy lifting of the materials while others planned out the architectural aspects.
All living beings have the habit of adjusting the environment they live in into something more suited to their way of life. The gods of Mesopotamia lacked that trait. Despite how much power they possessed, they were beings that were just there.
It was clear that human beings had a higher intelligence than other lifeforms on earth and their will, their desire, was unlimited. In character, ingenuity, and in cognition, they were not so different from the gods.
However, an omniscient being could only reach one possible conclusion and had a fixed personality. In that regard, they saw humans as a threat and the need to control them. They were afraid of a future where they would become unnecessary. It was a difference in the number of different minds and their ability to adapt.
I learned another valuable lesson about humanity on that day.
Eventually, we went to the Cedar Forest, home to the violent monster Humbaba.
The beast proved to be a formidable foe, capable of shattering the ground with a single strike from its arms and cutting trees in half with one swipe of its claws. Gilgamesh distracted it, bombarding it with the treasures from his Gate of Babylon, giving me the opportunity to halt Humbaba in place with the Chains of Heaven.
Gilgamesh proceeded to deal the finishing blow by shooting a drill-shaped lance straight through its chest. The beast fell to the ground with a loud thud.
We approached it to confirm its demise. It was then that I noticed Humbaba still wearing the circlet I made for it so long ago.
"Why did she wear that crown, I wonder," I murmured.
"It is because it is such an ornament, a single bunch of flowers, that it brought joy to a pure heart," Gilgamesh answered.
Before we left the forest, I left a second circlet of flowers behind on the soil to honor the beast.
"Why did you decide to defeat Humbaba? It was not an order from the gods nor was it for the sake of the people of Uruk," I asked.
"It is to protect Uruk," he replied. "If we do not defeat all evil on earth, our people will starve to death."
I then remembered the cry of hate and resentment that I observed when I met Humbaba for the first time. With the influence of the gods declining more and more each day, killing Humbaba was an act of mercy. It would have been in conflict with humanity eventually.
"But you make the people of Uruk suffer with your reign," I said. "Why are you worried about them now?"
"It is not so strange. I was born to be a protector of humanity, after all," he explained. "Building the future of this planet is the king's duty."
As he said that, his gaze was so far away. So far not even I, who was made in the same way, could see what he was seeing.
"There are different kinds of protection. Just guarding things from danger is not protection. There are times when even the north wind is necessary," he added.
"I see. So, you preferred the path you saw here," I said.
He laughed again. It was like a cool breeze, one he sometimes laughed as a child.
I understood perfectly why he preferred isolation. It was because the path he had chosen was one he had to walk alone. He said he was protecting a distant future he could see. That was why he had to be alone, hating gods and men alike.
A divide between the gods and humans was inevitable. However, the gods would never give up their influence over humans. That was why they created Gilgamesh in the first place. They wanted a sovereign, a puppet, who had the perspective of both sides but would ultimately side with the gods. It was the unsightly death throes of a dying race.
Much to their dismay, Gilgamesh decided to live his life according to his own desires and chose to observe humanity's future as king out of his own volition. Naturally, there is no place for the gods to interfere in humanity's path. That is why getting rid of divine beasts like Humbaba, who would oppose a future without the gods, was accelerating that divide.
The more he loved humanity, the less he could be involved with anyone. He was humanity's arbitrator and reaper. He believed that his cruelty was necessary in order to build a thriving future for humanity and to push them to greater heights. He, as the king, would only observe the result of it and would not interfere in the glorious process from which such results were made.
"Well, the results may be an uninteresting fabric, but I have decided to look after them," he said. "So, I will."
"I am a tool. Something you don't need to pass judgment on. I can stay by your side until the end of the world," I replied.
"Fool," he answered, a genuine smile on his face. "You lived with me, spoke with me, fought with me. That is not a person nor a tool. That is called a friend, Enkidu."
It was at that moment that I truly gained a self when I was granted those precious words.
But our time together would not last.
It was a day like any other. I was in the throne room, having a pleasant conversation with Siduri while Gilgamesh gave orders to his advisors.
It was then that we both felt it and looked out towards the large balcony. A woman with red eyes and long black hair approached on a massive blue and gold bow from the sky.
The bow was unmistakably Maanna, the Boat of Heaven. That meant that the person controlling it was Ishtar, the goddess of Venus, beauty, good harvests, war, and fertility.
Siduri and Gilgamesh's advisors bowed at the sight of her. Not just because she was a goddess, but because she was also the patron deity of Uruk.
She floated into the throne room and landed, letting her gaze wander over everyone until it landed on Gilgamesh.
Gilgamesh rested his head on his right hand, not bothering to get up from his throne and said, "What is your business here, Ishtar?"
"King Gilgamesh," she said, then turned towards me. "Chain."
She turned her attention back to the king and continued, "I am merely here to congratulate you on all your deeds. Tales of your adventures have reached the heavens above."
The annoyance from Gilgamesh was palpable given that his eyes narrowed as Ishtar sauntered closer to him.
"And as it happens, it has come to my attention that you have yet to find a wife," she said, leaning closer. "What do you say to joining me in divine marriage?"
"No," Gilgamesh replied.
"No?" Ishtar repeated.
"You are, how to put it best," Gilgamesh said. "Unfaithfully cruel and spoiled. You can never settle down and keep the same lover for long. After your pathetic attempt to take over the underworld from Ereshkigal, Tammuz, the lover of your youth, took the punishment in your stead. Then we have Isullanu who made you many offerings, yet you turned him into a mole after he refused a single request of yours. If I would accept your proposal, I would surely meet the same fate as them."
Ishtar stepped back and balled her fists. "You dare to deny me?!"
Maanna reappeared beside her. Ishtar's left eye was twitching. Gilgamesh's advisors left the throne room in a hurry.
"You have nothing to offer me," Gilgamesh concluded and stood up, crossing his arms. "Now, begone you useless goddess."
Ishtar looked like she was ready to start a fight, but upon realizing that I was still here, she stopped herself. I did not think that she had that much intelligence in her.
"You will pay dearly for your insolence!" she shouted. "You will rue the day you defied me! You and your kingdom!"
She quickly took off on Maanna and made sure to not leave through the balcony, but to blast a hole through a wall instead.
"Siduri, have that wall repaired," Gilgamesh ordered her. "And have my servants prepare a bath for me later."
Ishtar raced back to the heavens and went crying to her father Anu. She begged him to unleash Gugalanna, the Bull of Heaven, upon Uruk.
The Bull of Heaven was said to be the strongest divine beast in all of Sumer and as tall as a mountain. Even the gods could not fully control it, except Ishtar. When Gugalanna was summoned to the earth, it caused massive damage to the environment because it was constantly surrounded by a hurricane of over 800 kilometers in diameter. People died to the storm, buildings were destroyed, and farms rendered useless.
Dark clouds covered the world and a massive flood was imminent. Additionally, the Bull was capable of annihilating an entire city in moments and burn the Tigris River dry. This would have been the end of Uruk.
Gilgamesh and I headed out to intercept Gugalanna before it could do more damage. We battled the Bull for nearly a day until both sides started to give in.
"Enkidu, let us finish this!" Gilgamesh shouted through the storm.
He opened a portal above his hand. The Key of the King's Law came out of it.
I nodded and placed my hand on the ground. The magical energy of the land flowed through me.
"What I call upon is the breath of the planet, for I walk alongside the path of humanity," I chanted. "Therefore, child of man, let us bind the gods."
"Enuma Elish!"
[O' Humans, Let Us Bind The Gods]
I transformed my entire body into the Chains of Heaven as I raced towards Gugalanna, piercing, restraining the beast and completely immobilizing it. It let out a cry in response, but it was not dead yet.
"Judgment is upon you," Gilgamesh declared, raising his most powerful weapon into the air. "Behold the crushing might of my Sword of Rupture!"
The three segments of Ea began to rotate and unleashed a torrential whirlwind of red and black around him as he hovered in the air.
"Subside in death!" he says, bringing his sword down towards Gugalanna.
"Enuma Elish!"
[The Star of Creation that Split Heaven and Earth]
The Bull of Heaven, with no way to move, took the full force of Ea and was completely obliterated. The dark clouds in the sky vanished as we saved the earth from being flooded. However, Gugalanna's appearance caused so much damage to the land that the people of Uruk would feel its impact for seven years to come.
And that marked the beginning of my end.
Furious at her loss, Ishtar requested that we are to be put to death for the sin of slaying a beast of the gods. Her request was granted and in response, they brought divine punishment down upon me. Since I was made by the gods, I was unable to defy their decree.
It all happened so suddenly. We were in Uruk's ziggurat at the time. I lost the strength to stand and it became increasingly difficult to move. I was shutting down.
Gilgamesh held me, that crumbling lump of clay, in his arms with all his might.
"I won't allow this!" he said, devastated. "Why do you have to die? If someone must be punished, it should be me! All of this was because of my own selfishness!"
My vision was getting blurry. I could barely make him out and see his cheeks drenched in tears.
"You do not need to be sad," I said, cupping his cheek. "I am a weapon. Just one of the many treasures in your collection. I am sure that you will find countless other treasures after this, much better than I am. There is nothing so valuable about me that gives you reason to drench your cheeks like this."
In the end, that is all I was. A weapon, a tool. Though Gilgamesh was a child of the gods, he became a hero who defied them. He had a soul from the beginning. He had free will ever since he was born. He had a true life, unlike me.
Why, when we were made by the same gods, were we such different beings?
"You do have worth! Worth that no one else has!" he cried. "I hereby declare, in all heaven and earth, only one shall be my friend. Thus, not for all eternity shall your value ever change!"
What had I done? I was just a tool, but he made that into something else with his vow. With the price that forever after, he would always be alone.
I could not feel my arm anymore as it let go of his face and fell back down. My eyesight was no more, replaced by unending darkness. Tears began to flow from my eyes.
"Why are you crying?" he asked. "Could it be that, only now, you regret having taken my side?"
"That's not it," I replied. "Who would understand you after I die? Who else would march forward by your side? When I think that you will live on all alone henceforth, I cannot help but shed tears…"
My body reached its breaking point and crumbled apart. The rain outside gradually lessened. All that remained was the cry of the king, echoing through the ziggurat like roaring thunder.
Enkidu wakes up from his meditation under one of the trees near the Einzbern castle. He prefers being outside rather than being cooped up indoors. To him, being surrounded by nature feels like he is surrounded by like-minded individuals because plants and animals are existences closer to himself than humans. The song of nature is still there as he remembers it, despite the fact that much has changed after his death. Still, it is a relief that the earth is as beautiful as ever, despite being covered by cities like Uruk now.
But one of the few things that never change is that Enkidu is in tune with nature. Birds and squirrels occasionally approach him, converse with him, and keep him company.
Destiny is truly a strange fabric. What were the chances that out of all the Heroic Spirits that could have been summoned in this Holy Grail War, his close friend, Gilgamesh would be among them. It came so unexpected that Enkidu was almost in a daze back there.
Enkidu would have revealed himself to him. However, he is under strict orders from his Master to not expose his preferred form to others in addition to not raise his parameters to the fullest just yet. As a weapon, he has to obey his wielder.
However, Gilgamesh didn't see through his disguise. Or maybe he did and only played along? No, this isn't like him. He could be intentionally restraining Sha Naqba Imuru. That would certainly be something he would do. But what if it's being clouded or even blocked?
Enkidu places his hands on the ground to feel the land beneath him. Something is definitely out of order. It's as if there is something there that shouldn't be. Something… malefic.
Enkidu snaps back to the here and now. His Presence Detection skill has alerted him to something nearby. With one motion of his hand, a spear made of clay shoots from the ground and hits something in the tree opposite of him.
A red-eyed raven falls out of the tree and vanishes into smoke a few seconds later.
"That makes fourteen," Enkidu says.
