2955 BCE, Garden of the Sun, Kur

Warmth. That was the first thing that came into Perseus' mind as he gazed into the glowing, yellow eyes of the figure standing before him.

Despite the utter feelings of despair and sorrow that he had been forced to fight off just moments prior in the dark wilderness of Kur, Perseus couldn't help but feel as if he were baptized by fire as he stood in the garden of the sun. A sense of accomplishment and pride wormed its way into his heart as he reveled in the memories of how he overcame the various demons and monsters in order to arrive at the garden of the sun. The glistening garden provided one of the few sources of light in the Mesopotamian underworld with its golden trees and their bejeweled fruits reflecting the sunlight emitted from the figure in front of him.

The god Shamash stood tall and proud as he towered over Perseus' smaller form. Standing at just over 8 feet tall, the sun god gazed at Perseus with a bright, shining smile as he took in the weathered image before him.

Perseus, adorned with grazes and battle wounds, stood, slightly hunched over, as he finally caught his breath. His long journey into Kur and to the garden of the sun had been an exhausting, albeit fruitful, journey into the abyss. For months, he had been forced to crawl around the realm with little light and no sense of direction as he was tormented by its monstrous inhabitants, but he had refused to give up.

"Lord Shamash," Perseus spoke as slowly as he could so that he could carefully consider the words he was about to speak. He held his hand in front of his nose in a gesture of respect. "I have heard your summons, O glorious arbiter of divine justice and have arrived in your domain."

"Desist with the pleasantries, young godling." Shamash spoke loudly as he gazed at the worn visage of the figure before him. "You have traveled for many days and nights and fought off many powerful galla to arrive in my night-time home. You have earned my respect and so long as you treat me with respect, you have nothing to fear. So please, stop with your flowery words. They mean nothing to me and serve to only waste time we do not have. I must ride my chariot to the surface world as soon as this conversation is finished.

"Apologies, Lord Shamash."

After hearing his complaints, Perseus couldn't help but briefly recall the details of his journey into Kur knowing that his goal had nearly been accomplished. It had taken him roughly two months to traverse from his temporary residence in Cyprus to the only known entrance to Kur in the Zagros Mountains whereupon he entered the Magilum Boat and sailed westward. It had taken him another two months to convince the god Neti to let him through the seven gates without relinquishing his divine power and another two months afterwards to fight through the land of Kur and enter the garden of the sun.

"Do you know why I have called you here, young godling," Shamash asked rhetorically. "For the past few decades, I have heard of the "laughable" attempts that you are alleged to have made in an attempt to convince other gods to higher you to perform tasks."

Perseus couldn't help, but feel slightly insulted at Shamash's remarks. He stood still, however, gazing forward stoically as he waited for Shamash's monologue to get to the point.

Shamash took a step forward as he narrowed his eyes as he gazed into the unflinching eyes of Perseus. "None of your pantheon's gods ever took you up on your offer, believing the accusations leveled against you by your father, the sea god, who called you a coward and unworthy of any respect."

"If it weren't for the rumors of your entrance into the Garden of Eden, I wouldn't have even deigned to speak with you and yet…."

"Somehow, someway, you managed to slip past the angel Uriel, who guards the gates of Eden with his flaming sword, and nearly managed to take a bite out of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil before you were caught. An act that no being, mortal or immortal, would ever deign to undertake."

Perseus eyes widened in shock at the extent that the sun god knew, an action which was not lost on the god of the sun.

"Yes, I know of your attempt to taste the "forbidden fruit" in your pursuit of the knowledge on how the universe works. I know of how the archangel Raphael descended and knocked the holy quince out of your hand and proceeded to beat you to the verge of fading. I know how, if it wasn't for the archangel Raphael relenting at the last second for some unknown reason, you would have been gone from this world, not missed by your father nor your mother nor your brother."

Shamash took another step forward, his gaze unflinching. "From my position as the sun god of this region, I see all things much like your sun god, Helios. I have taken note of the various deeds that you have performed while under my gaze."

"You have been dealt a cruel hand by fate, Perseus. Despised and unknown to all, but a few, you have traversed much of the Mediterranean world in an attempt to gain some semblance of notoriety to no avail despite your great acts! I am here to give you an opportunity to change that. I am here to give you the chance of a lifetime, the ability to make your name known among all beings, mortal and immortal."

"If you wish to truly be your pantheon's god of mercenaries, Perseus, you must earn it by convincing the Fates or Ananke, herself, that you deserve it."

Shamash took another step forward.

"Your journey into the depths of Kur with little to no guidance was a test that I wished to put before you in order to see if you were competent enough for the task I wish to hire you for. I can assure you that this task will make your name known throughout the ages and for all time. So what do you say?"

Perseus simply stared at the god, slightly gob smacked at the opportunity presented to him. If what the god of the sun said was truthful, then Perseus had just been offered the opportunity of a lifetime. And yet..."

Perseus couldn't help but narrow his eyes in suspicion as he looked into the shining face of the sun god. "Spare me the niceties about glory and honor, Lord Shamash. I could care little about either. All I want to know, Lord Shamash, is how much you are willing to pay me."

Shamash simply snorted in amusement as he looked at the young godling. "Do not lie to yourself about your lack of desire, Perseus. It is no use denying what is clear to all.

"In any case, I am offering you 3,000,000 of your pantheon's golden drachmas in exchange for this task. If you were a mortal, I would simply offer you a few hundred prized heifers and 2000 goats and sheep, but I doubt you'd be interested in that."

"As for your task, I will not say. Not until you swear a solemn oath on your River Styx to not back out of the deal and perform the task to the best of your ability as well as to not reveal the ultimate goals of the task without my permission."

"Lord Shamash", Perseus stated respectfully. His eyebrows furrowed in thought as he weighed the pros and cons of the situation before him. "Respectfully, you have to realize that I find it extremely suspicious that you refuse to reveal this mission."

Shamash could only produce a wry grin at that statement. "Unfortunately, I desire to keep this task a secret from some of the…. other gods who may desire to interfere in the task for their own benefit. You are a newcomer to this realm and, thus, are unknown to any of the gods, but myself and the gods of the underworld, Erekshigal and Gugulanna who granted my request of allowing you to enter Kur without the removal of your divine powers and weapons. As such, you have an advantage over all who would try and oppose you in the task that I wish to give you."

"Besides Perseus," Shamash continued. "Do you really have anything better to do with your time?"

At that last statement, Perseus' eyes widened in thought as he considered his options. He really did have nothing better to do and if he was to benefit tremendously from this task like Shamash had claimed, then all the better."

"So long as you promise me that I will not be required to take the life of an innocent, Shamash, then I will swear on the River Styx on the terms you've provided."

"Excellent," said Shamash. "I can assure you that I have no intention of having you take an innocent's life. I fear, however, there will be casualties, but this task will save more lives than it will cost."

Perseus took a deep breath before performing the oath. Thunder could be heard from a distance as the oath was sealed.

"Excellent, Perseus, Shamash remarked as he moved to his side. "Bunene, ready my chariot," he shouted as he studded over to his palace. Turning his back to his palace, he continued, "it is near daybreak my new friend. Come with me and I will take you out of this desolate place as the sun rises. I will tell you about your mission as we leave."

Perseus could only nod his assent as he direly hoped that he didn't make the fifth greatest mistake of his life.

2954 BCE, Wilderness Outside of Uruk

Perseus gazed at the sight before him. As it turned out, he hadn't made the fifth greatest mistake of his life to his great relief. Shamash, it seemed, turned out to have the best interests of humanity in his heart, for now, at least.

Perseus had been tasked with facilitating the meeting between two men. One, the mythical King of Uruk whose name was known even in the lands of Greece. Two-thirds god, one-third human, the mythical king had once been known as a benevolent man who had performed many great feats of strength and bravery on behalf of the gods. Now, though, the king known as Gilgamesh was a brutal tyrant who engaged in the practice of prima nocta which gave him the right to sleep with any woman on the night of her wedding. The other, a wildman with horns akin to that of a Greek satyr and a bull's tail. He had no knowledge of civilization and seemed to have strength akin to that of the Behemoth, yet he treated animals with a gentleness that a mother would reserve for her newborn son. He spoke to them, drank with them, and ate with them like a man who had his mind taken away for seven years.

These two men were polar opposites. One was civilized and chose to live his life with opulence and splendor, taking whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. The other, a hairy, primitive man, whose only thoughts were of being one with nature.

Two polar opposites who fate had decreed were destined to save each other… and it was Perseus' duty to make sure they did.

It was widely known in the ancient world that the only way to make a man "civilized" was to ensure an encounter with the opposite sex. It had been true for Adam and Lilith and Pandora and Epimetheus, though, both did come with grave consequences. On second thought, maybe he should have gone with a different method….

It was too late now though, Perseus decided. Enkidu and Gilgamesh needed to meet soon or Shamash would deduct his payment for taking so long. Perseus had already been paid 250,000 golden drachmas in advance in order to support any expenditures that he would have to make and it wouldn't do for his first real job to be delayed. No, he would work with this and hopefully Enkidu wouldn't suddenly turn into a demon or decide to release the seven deadly sins into the world.

As he watched on the cliffside, he was finally granted a first look at the wild Enkidu. He was easily as tall as Shamash was, standing at just over 8 feet tall. Chiseled muscles, hardened from life in the wilderness, were obscured by the body hair on his naked body. Brown eyes, while crazed with a primitive madness, still seemed to gleam with intelligence as he observed the figure in front of him.

Across the river in front of him lay the harlot Shamash. Prostitutes were a prevalent profession dedicated to relieving the desires of both men and women and Shamhat was the best of them. With hair as dark as the night sky, gorgeous brown eyes, and lips as red as blood coupled with full breasts and fair skin, she was a woman that all men desired, but few men could afford.

Perseus, himself, couldn't help but be tempted with the desire to sleep with her. She was a mortal so beautiful that any god who noticed her would be tempted to try their hand at seducing her. However, attempting to assuage his carnal desires would jeopardize his mission. In order to gain her services, Perseus had disguised himself as a huntsman when he had first approached Gilgamesh in order to seek his "help." He had orchestrated a story about how Enkidu was breaking his traps and had managed to pike the tyrant's interest with stories of his strength, ferocity, and general wild nature.

Gilgamesh had given him Shamhat in order to seduce Enkidu. To sleep with her would pollute her scent and make her undesirable to Enkidu, or so he thought. Not to mention, performing such an action would be a gross violation of the trust that Gilgamesh had placed in him should Shamhat tell the King of Uruk of such an affair.

No, it was a risk he dared not take, lest it ruin any chance he had of fulfilling his mission.

It didn't help that Shamhat would likely reject any advances he would have made on her. Perseus' self-esteem was low-enough as it was.

At least, he wasn't Apollo or Zeus, he mused, in an attempt to make him feel better about himself. Those gods would curse any women who refused to sleep with them out of spite out of a misguided sense of belief that a woman lived only to serve a male's desire.

The fools. If only they could see the various machinations and tricks that the women in their lives had performed on them, maybe then could they see that women were just as capable… and dangerous as a man could be.

Perseus shook himself out of his internal thoughts before focusing his gaze on the scene in front of him. If all went well, the prostitute would seduce Enkidu, thereby, imparting her scent onto him and making the animals he loved flee from him in fear. Hopefully, the beautiful prostitute would survive the angry outburst that was doomed to follow and she and Perseus could work together in introducing Enkidu to civilized life.

Perseus simply observed what happened next.

Once she caught sight of Enkidu, Shamhat smiled sultrily at him, fluttering her eyes as she prepared for the task she had been assigned. Slowly, she stripped naked, showcasing her fair skin to the air for all to see. A temptress that few men could resist and Enkidu was not one of those men.

Almost immediately after seeing Shamhat's performance, Enkidu's eyes took on the gleam of a wild animal in heat, desperate to mate and spread its seed to ensure its legacy in the next generation.

As the two started to make love, Perseus averted his eyes from the scene below him and headed into the woods. He would check up on Shamhat in a few hours so that they could plan on how to deal with Enkidu's subsequent reaction that would result after he found that the wild animals fled from his scent.

/

Six days. It took six full days and six full nights for their sexual intercourse to end. Perseus couldn't help, but be stunned at the raw passion exhibited by Enkidu and Shamhat. It was only through the blessing of Ishtar, Perseus mused, that the two of them could have performed such a feat of endurance. Throughout it all, he had stayed back in the shadows of the forest, keeping an eye out for any opportunistic predators while still maintaining a respective distance to the two lovers. Perseus finally ended his self-imposed exile once the moans of lust and passion had ceased to pollute the air around him.

Perseus climbed onto the branch of a tall tree in the forest. He sat there for hours, waiting for them to wake up, as the two slept peacefully. Enkidu had wrapped his arms around his lover, blissfully unaware of the consequences that would follow his act of lust. Shamhat, on the other hand, seemed to willingly cuddle against the large, warm body of Enkidu. They seemed… happy together despite only knowing each other for a few days ago.

Perseus couldn't help, but once again point the blame for this mysterious scenario at the feet of the Mesopotamian goddess of love.

Enkidu was the first to wake up. Taking one last look at the temptress in front of him, Enkidu turned around and quickly spirited away, back into the woods.

Shamhat woke up 30 minutes later. Silently, she dressed herself before leaving the shore of the river and heading back to the small tent.

2954 BCE, Wilderness Outside of Uruk, Tent of Shamash

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Perseus," Shamhat said nervously, gazing back and forth at the entrance of the door. "If what you're saying is true, he is probably enraged at what we've done to him."

Perseus couldn't help, but feel the same apprehension that was affecting Shamhat. He felt guilty for what he had to do, but he steeled himself knowing that it was all for the greater good. Enkidu was key to Shamash's plan to revive the Old Gilgamesh, to turn him away from evil and bring him back into the light. "Calm yourself, Shamhat. He will calm down…. eventually. He will realize that what's been done here is for his own ben-." A scream of rage permeated through the air startling the two.

Shamhat looked at Perseus nervously, tugging on the neck of her dress. "Perhaps, I should try and seduce him and-"

"No, if you approach him, he is more likely to rip you apart than have sex with you. I'll take care of this, knock him out, and-"

By the time Perseus had paused, Shamhat had already disregarded Perseus' orders and rushed outside. Perseus lunged at her with superhuman speed, managing to grab her red cloak. Unfortunately for him, Shamhat had somehow managed to disrobe partially leaving him grasping the cloak as she quickly disrobed at an astonishing speed and exited the tent.

Perseus immediately summoned his sword into his hand as he rushed out after the prostitute. To his astonishment, he immediately witnessed a pacified Enkidu kneeling down before Shamhat as she caressed his face. She kissed his forehead as she whispered several words that were unintelligible to Perseus' ears.

Enkidu, it seemed, was literally putty in her hands. She grabbed Enkidu by his hand and led into his tent. Perseus attempted to follow, but stopped in his tracks at a sharp glare aimed at him by Shamhat.

Perseus couldn't help, but feel insulted at the gesture as the tent closed up. He turned his back on the tent and walked away as loud moans started to permeate into the air.

/

Perseus was wary of Shamhat. It was clear that she was a lot more intelligent and cunning than he had initially given her credit for. She used her kind demeanor and beauty to beguile any man or beast that might harm her. Perseus was loath to admit it, but he would have probably have fallen prey to her were it not for the fact that she showed no interest in him. She was a useful ally…. but also a disastrous enemy to make with what Perseus could only describe as a blessing from Ishtar. Perseus would have to tread carefully around her… while suring up his defenses against members of the opposite sex.

Eventually, Perseus was allowed back into the tent. Sitting next to Shamhat on the bed was the wild man Enkidu. His eyes gleamed with intelligence as he gazed upon the armored body of Perseus. "So…. you are the one who has caused me to lose my friendship with the cattle and the animals of the wild." he growled as he glared his piercing black eyes at Perseus.

"I did." Perseus replied, steady meeting the gaze Enkidu directed at him.

Enkidu stood up and approached Perseus. They stared at each other for a second, neither budging an inch, before Enkidu thrust out his hand. Perseus had thought he was ready for such an attack, but before Perseus could even blink he had found himself in Enkidu's massive hand which wrapped around his throat. Enkidu proceeded to lift his body into the air, in a powerful display of strength and dominance.

Perseus struggled uselessly as he grasped at the large powerful hand in vain. Perseus could feel Enkidu's hand squeezing tighter, ever so slowly. He gazed into Enkidu's eyes, only to see them sparkling with a great anger. He couldn't help, but compare the emotions in Enkidu's eyes to the eyes of the Archangel Raphael when the traveler impaled him with his divine sword against the Tree of Life. Enkidu squeezed tighter.

"I can't breathe," Perseus choked out as he gasped for air, utterly humiliated at the surprise attack inflicted on him by a lesser being.

"Before you die, Perseus," spat out Enkidu, his hand applying more force with every word. "I want you to know that you are suffering just a tiny fraction of the pain that I have suffered. Those so-called "animals" were my only family! They were my friends! And now, they can't even look at me! My very presence makes them flee from my sight!"

Enkidu squeezed tighter in anger. Perseus was nearing unconsciousness, only the energy of his divine life force had prevented his neck from being snapped in two. "You have taken everything from me! And now, I will take your life from you, mortal. I will crush your throat and feed you to the eleven sons of Tiamat! Then I will go to Uruk and humiliate that tyrant, Gilgamesh and - AGGH." Two streams of venom flew into Enkidu's eyes, eliciting a startled scream of pain and forcing him to drop Perseus on the floor.

'Mortal' Enkidu had called him. A burning rage filled his body as he stared at the writhing body of Enkidu.

Perseus grasped his throat as he gasped for breath. His eyes turned into vertical green slits as he summoned his sword. He couldn't die. He wouldn't die. He was a god, the son of gods, and the grandson of the Titans. He was a prince of the sea, no matter what his father said! Enkidu would rue the day he challenged Perseus.

Meanwhile, Enkidu was clawing at his eyelids, screaming in agony, as Shamhat hid underneath her bed, undoubtedly fearing for her life in the scene that was about to enfold.

"You call me mortal, Enkidu." Perseus hissed in a calm voice as he stalked towards the hairy giant who was rubbing his eyes and blinking rapidly as he tried to get the venom out. Perseus' forked tongue flickered out unconsciously.

"I call you a monster now!" growled Enkidu as he stood back up, shaking in rage as his divinely created body purged his system of the venom and attempted to restore his sight.

"Do not presume to challenge the god of snakes, mortal, or I shall personally see to your permanent blindness!" Perseus hissed venomously in reply. "But fine, if you want a monster, I'll give you a monster!"

Furious at the surprise attack, Enkidu charged forward at a startling speed, his arms flailing wildly as he desperately tried to grasp on to Perseus and end him once and for all while still partially blind.

Perseus swiftly ducked underneath Enkidu's large arms as Enkidu tore through the back of the tent. "Stay there," he hissed to the frozen Shamhat as he ran forward to capture the escaped wild man.

Perseus ran as fast he could before springboarding off a large rock onto the back of Enkidu. Perseus wrapped his arms around the wild man's throat as he held on for dear life as the wild man twisted and turned in the hopes of throwing the god of snakes off to no avail.

Perseus hissed one last time as he opened his mouth wide. Two large fangs suddenly erupted from his gums before he bit down on the shoulder of Enkidu, pumping a modified venom meant to act as a tranquilizer strong enough to take down a massive Roc. Immediately after delivering the bite, Perseus retracted his venom-dripping fangs as he pushed himself off of the back of Enkidu. Enkidu led out an unearthly howl which shook the ground. In a matter of seconds, the battle was over.

Enkidu staggered forward for a bit, his adrenaline-filled state abating as he fell onto his knees before falling face first into the ground. The comical scene did little to boost Perseus' spirits as he let out a massive sigh.

Enkidu wasn't dead, at least, his body was able to handle the powerful sedative.

Perseus was tired. Tired of working in this god forsaken wilderness. Tired of not being able to enjoy the comfort of his own bed in his own home. Tired of a stubborn and vindictive wildman who would not sit still and listen.

Perseus had had enough. Deciding at that very moment, he grasped onto Enkidu's body as he attempted to heave him over his shoulder in a single act of divine strength and willpower.

Unfortunately for Perseus, Enkidu's chiseled muscles and large body size made him way too heavy for Perseus to lift.

Giving up after straining his muscles, Perseus called out for Shamhat to join him in waiting for Enkidu to wake up once again. Hopefully, this time, Enkidu would be willing to listen to what Perseus had to say.

Perseus looked up at the sky before sighing once again. It was sunset and the sky was getting blacker by the minute. Soon, it would be nighttime, a time when predators and monsters would have no qualms about ambushing unsuspecting, sleeping prey.

Shamhat came to rest at Enkidu's side before cuddling next to him and entering a peaceful sleep.

Perseus couldn't help, but blink in surprise at that. It seemed that those six days and nights together had imparted a lasting, somewhat romantic-influence on the both of them.

Perseus sat on a rock, summoning his bow and a quiver of arrows for the night. After all, who knew what monsters were out there in the wilderness.

/

By the time morning had come, Perseus felt exhausted. While gods had a higher sleep deprivation tolerance than mortals, Perseus had been fully awake for the last six days as he kept a watchful eye on the surrounding area.

Sitting in front of him was Enkidu. Perseus had bitten him once more in order to impart a venom that would make Enkidu a bit groggy, but calm. At least, this time, Perseus wouldn't be attacked and hopefully, he and Enkidu would get through this peacefully.

Shamhat had also woken up and sat next to Enkidu, her hands on his thighs. Silently, the three of them stared at each other, none of them knowing what to say to break the stony silence that engulfed their surroundings.

Shamhat broke the stalemate.

"So… you're a god?" Shamhat stammered out as she looked at Perseus with her eyes full of awe and wonder with a hint of trepidation.

Perseus simply nodded his head.

"You're a god." It was Enkidu who spoke out this time. He gazes at Perseus curiously, inclining his head in thought.

Perseus nodded his head once again.

"I know you both have questions, but please rest assured, that I am here to help you."

Perseus looked at Enkidu. "Enkidu, I truly am sorry that I had to bring you out of your home in the wild in such a cruel way. If I could, I would have left you there, but the gods have other plans for you."

"It was Shamash who sent me to you, Enkidu. He sent me to retrieve you from your home in the wild and make you "civilized" so you could fulfill your destiny."

"Shamash…. Lord Utu, God of the Sun?" Enkidu continued to stare at Perseus with unblinking eyes. "

"Aye," Perseus responded. Perseus gazed at Enkidu curiously. "So, Enkidu, I must ask, how do you know so much about the gods? You mentioned the sons of Tiamat yesterday, and now you recognize the name of Shamash despite having lived in the wild your entire life. You also seem to have managed to master the language of this land without any prior exposure. How is that?"

"I," Enkidu paused briefly as he tried to search his memory for some reason to explain such a weird phenomenon. "I just knew."

Perseus simply shrugged his shoulders. "I guess Shamash thought it best to get Nabu to impart knowledge of these things into your brain without you knowing. It doesn't matter though. What does matter is if Nabu told you about why you were created."

"I think so," Enkidu said, hesitating slightly. "According to Shamhat," he said gesturing at the prostitute beside him, "I am meant to take on and kill the tyrant King of Uruk… Gilgamesh."

"Are you now," Perseus couldn't help but be amused at the idea. Gilgamesh was the favorite of the gods and as long as they willed it, he would never die. He turned towards Shamhat. "And why would you try and get this wildman to kill the king of your city. I never told you about what I needed Enkidu for?"

Shamhat couldn't help, but shiftily glance to the side. Her thin body shivered as if a cold breeze had run through it. She knew Perseus was fishing for details about her plot to kill the king, a crime that would get her killed if Perseus decided to tell Gilgamesh.

"That doesn't matter," Shamhat said quickly. She clearly feared for her life. After all, Enkidu had just revealed to a god about her plans to slay Gilgamesh. Steeling herself, Shamhat decided to use the most powerful weapon she had.

Shamhat continued in a sultry voice which attempted to affect Perseus in the most intimate of ways. "What does matter is what I can do for you tonight. If you drop this matter and allow me to live, I will… I will sleep with you tonight and for the next night…. and I will give you access to my body for whenever you come to Uruk."

"You will sleep with me," Perseus couldn't help but say it in a disgusted tone, his willpower, honor, and general disgust at the insult overwhelming the latent part of his brain which tried to convince him to accept the offer. "Do you truly think me to be so daft, prostitute, that I would sleep with you in order to erase your involvement in this crime. Do you think I am so devoid of my duties and so weak-willed that I would willingly jump into the arms of a beautiful women in exchange for looking the other way?!"

Perseus stood up. Enkidu followed his movements in a protective manner. He stood in front of Shamhat to put himself in between the two of them.

Perseus forced himself to calm down. It wouldn't do to make Enkidu his mortal enemy at this time. He had done enough already.

"Tell me, prostitute," Perseus spat out. "Why do you wish to murder Gilgamesh, your king, and perhaps I will not punish you for insulting a God."

Shamhat's eyes were filled with terror as she contemplated the god before her. His eyes had once again turned into vertical green slits as his forked tongue flickered out of his mouth in anger. Perseus was dangerous and he was to be feared.

Shamhat steeled herself once again. "Gilgamesh… is a tyrant! An extremely handsome tyrant, but a tyrant nonetheless! I cannot in good conscience let this continue." Shamhat's tone turned into one of disgust. "He practices prima nocta where he sleeps with every bride on their wedding night. He has left no sons to their fathers, no daughters to their mothers, and his harem is so large that there are barely any beautiful maidens who will be able to marry other men and have children!"

Perseus, just sat back against the rock, amused.

"Well, at least you had noble reasons for this attempt, Shamhat. If it were anything else, I would have killed you on the spot."

"Shamhat, we are not going to kill Gilgamesh." As Shamhat opened her mouth to respond, Perseus quickly cut her off. "We are going to change Gilgamesh back into the benevolent monarch that he once was."

"Shamash himself has hired me to perform this task. Apparently, the god Anu and the mother of Gilgamesh, the goddess Aruru, have heard the prayers of your people and have instructed Shamash to help change him for the better. Aruru, herself, fashioned Enkidu here out of clay in order to create a rival for him."

"This is your purpose, Enkidu." Perseus turned to him and stared him directly into his eyes. "The reason I have taken you out of the forest is to fight Gilgamesh to a standstill, humble him, and force him to change his ways. Most of the gods adore Gilgamesh; they see him as one of their own for they themselves crafted his body. They made him the most handsome man on Earth and gifted with courage and a magnificence that no mortal has ever received. They hate what he has turned into, and yet, they wish for him to change for they love their people."

"You are to help me change Gilgamesh for the better, Enkidu."

Enkidu and Shamhat stood there silently for several minutes as they looked at the god of serpents. Shock was evident on their faces as they thought about what Perseus had said.

"If this is the will of the gods," Enkidu spoke calmly as the tranquilizer wore off, his mind enlightened to the purpose of his retrieval. "If this is my duty, then so be it. Take me to Uruk and I shall be the vehicle of the gods and answer the cries of the people."

Shamhat gazed at Perseus one last time before looking away. "You're a god" she stated, clearly annoyed and ambivalent. "Nothing I say will matter. Your decision is final, my Lord. I dearly wish we could just end him once and for all, but I am a servant of the gods like all mortals. Do what you will, Lord Perseus, but I swear this. If you fail to stop Gilgamesh, I will come after you to the best of my ability. I may not be able to harm you, but I will pray for months nonstop to Ishtar or some other goddess of love, and, eventually they will answer my prayers and make your life a living hell!"

Perseus simply nodded in assent. If it eventually came to that, he would kill Shamhat immediately preventing her from imploring the goddesses. Zeus knows what his life would become if Ishtar or Aphrodite decided to involve himself in his affairs.

"To Uruk we go." spoke Perseus. "Prepare your things, Shamhat, and present them to Enkidu to carry. We leave tomorrow at dawn."

Author's Note

If you've gotten this far, congratulations. It means that I'm not as bad as a writer as I initially thought. Honestly, this is my first serious attempt at writing a fanfiction so I would appreciate constructive criticism from all of you.

I've had this idea in my head for approximately a year now and I figure that I might as well put it down into writing. This story is set around 2600 BCE during the time of Gilgamesh. (Duh). However, there is a lot more to this. All of the pantheons are real (Hindu, Judeo-Christian, Egyptian, Mayan, etc.) in this story and while this story will focus mainly on Mesopotamian myth, you can expect to see cameos from figures in the stories and tales of Greece, Egypt, the Bible and the Quran, and even some aspects of Zoroastrianism could come into play.

My interpretation of Perseus is of a gosling who has very low self-esteem similar to how the real Percy Jackson was at the beginning of the Lightning Thief. He isn't really well-liked and has a difficult time associating with others. He is eminently capable, but he has yet to prove himself to the other gods. He is despised by his father, Poseidon, in this continuity for some currently unknown reason. He is also the God of Snakes (I like snakes) and is trying to gain the position as god of mercenaries because he has become, well, a mercenary.

Perseus is also very prideful of his position as a minor god. Like other gods, he views mortals as lesser beings (for now at least). He treats women with the respect that they deserve unlike the other gods, many of whom are at least slightly sexist, but he also knows the power that a cunning and intelligent women like Shamhat can wield. Remember, she already has Enkidu, a man? created by the divine, under her thumb. He is wary of her cunning and her beauty and Perseus makes sure that she knows her place as a mortal.

At the end of each chapter, I'll include a brief summary on some of the notable mythical figures referenced in the chapter while trying to keep out spoilers for possible future arcs. This is similar to what the Son of the Western Sea does.

Thank you so much for checking this story out.

Kur- The Mesopotamian Underworld ruled by Queen Erekshigal, the sister of Ishtar or Inanna, and whoever is her husband at the time. Like in Egyptian mythology, the sun descends into the underworld and then rises out of it at sunrise. It is also the name of a gigantic monster in the Secret Saturdays Cartoon series.

Erekshigal and Gugulanna- Gugulanna is the first husband of Erekshigal, queen of Kur. She is perhaps best known for her role in the descent of Ishtar legend which has already happened in this story. Essentially, Ishtar was jealous of her sister's power so she descended into the underworld in an attempt to conquer it. Unfortunately for her, in order to pass through Kur's seven gates guarded by the god, Neti, she had to give up a portion of her rich clothing and jewelry which represented her power. It should also be noted that no one who enters the underworld may leave, though, there are a few exceptions. Eventually, Ishtar finds herself in front of her sister, naked, and stripped of her power. She still tries to overthrow her sister and forces her off the throne, but she is turned into a corpse by the Annunaki. Erekshigal force Ishtar to stay in the underworld and it is only through the intervention of the god Ea or Enki that she is able to leave. Enki has his servants heal her with the food and water of life. This is contingent, however, on finding a replacement in the over world to take her place in the underworld. She decides to choose her husband, Dumuzi aka Tammuz, because she found out that he had not mourned her absence. Dumuzi's sister would later arrange to take his place in the underworld for half of the year.

Behemoth- One of three primordial monsters in Jewish lore along with the Leviathan and the Ziz. It is described in detail in the Book of Job, but is also mentioned in various Jewish texts. During the end days, he will be slain by God and given to the righteous along with the Leviathan and the Ziz as a massive feast.

Shamash or Utu- Mesopotamian Lord of the Sun

The Fruit of the Tree of the Good and Evil – it is not an apple as apples didn't exist at the time. There are various interpretations ranging from a fig to a pomegranate, but I've chosen to go with the quince out of solidarity with Supernatural.

Archangel Raphael- One of the three quote-on-quote "archangels" that are canon along with Michael and Gabriel. Considered the patron of travelers, the archangel Raphael is primarily known for his role in the Book of Tobit where he accompanies Tobias on his journey to marry his cousin, Sarah, and rid her of the demon Asmodeus who has been killing any man who marries her.

Ishtar- Goddess of Love and War. More on her to come later in the story as she is important in the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Adam and Lilith- Jewish folklore tells of how Lilith was the first wife of Adam. She is said to have refused to be subservient to Adam, and thus, coupled with the archangel Samael (sometimes known as Lucifer) and was eventually turned into a demon. She's also conflated with some figures in Mesopotamian folklore as well.

The entire bit of "men having sex with women to become civilized" applying to this is something I made up. I just included the stories of Pandora and Epimetheus and Adam and Lilith due to my own personal thought processes in my head. Essentially, Adam was made "whole" by Lilith as the Bible indicates that he was made "whole" with Eve. Pandora and Epimetheus are kind of similar where Epimetheus just fell in love with Pandora and, thus, was made "whole." It's weird, but it isn't that important.

Sons of Tiamat- Tiamat gave birth to eleven monsters to fight against Marduk during a great war which precedes the events in this tale by several hundred years.

Galla or Gallu- Essentially Mesopotamian spirits of the underworld

Final Note: Shamash's involvement in this chapter is completely made-up for story purposes of hiring Perseus. He never interfered with Enkidu and Gilgamesh this early on in the epic.