Chapter 5

"Hey Gilgamesh, why did you decide to become a villain?"

The King of Heroes let out a snort of amusement.

She was lying prone on her back in the middle of their previous battlefield, golden hair spread out in a halo, whilst her first friend and greatest treasure sat cross-legged next to her head. Despite the bone-deep exhaustion within her body, Enkidu's presence still brought a small smile to her face.

The boy shuffled slightly closer, the tip of one knee brushing against her sides for a brief moment. A wave of pleasant tingles pulsed outwards from their shared point of contact.

"And I already told you, A monarch such as myself is above such things. I did not do what I did out of any malicious intentions."

Enkidu cocked his head to the side, like the one of those 'puppies' people liked to gush about. She had never seen the appeal of such mangy animals before, but looking at the way silky green locks draped down slender shoulders, she thought to reconsider. It was becoming quite hard to resist patting him on the head.

"Why did you decide to attack the monkey tribe then? If it's not because of some sort of evil world domination plan, why'd you do it?"

"It's quite simple. I thought they had something that belonged to me."

The boy let out a contemplative humming sound, brows knit together as if puzzling out a great conundrum.

"Well, I guess stealing is pretty bad...Did you at least ask them nicely first?"

Gilgamesh nodded her head.

"I did. Twice in fact. They were terribly boorish about it as well, and refused to give me back what was rightfully mine."

She was neglecting to mention, of course, that the Golden King had a very different definition of 'asking nicely' than her friend did. Namely with demands and the promise of violence. Gilgamesh also failed to acknowledge that her attack was completely unnecessary, and that her 'stolen item' was never there in the first place.

It was quite the blunder, but at least everything worked out in the end, right? How was she supposed to know her greatest treasure was some stupid sexy piece of mud?!

She felt an embarrassed blush start to form on her cheeks.

"Ahem... Regardless, all of that is water under the bridge now. I got what I was looking for anyways."

"I see. If everything is fine now, I think both you and the monkey clan should apologise to each other! I'm sure it was all juuuuust a big misunderstanding!"

The King of Heroes burst out into uproarious laughter, slim fingers clutching at her belly in mirth, until she turned her head. Blue-gold eyes stared back with a serious glint, and her good humour started to peter out into weak chuckles.

'Wait...He's not serious right? I thought that was a joke! I'm not going to say sorry to some ugly, hairy, forest dwelling-simpletons!'

Her smile twitched.

"You expect me to apologise to such lowly beings? Surely you jest! Ha Ha ha...."

'Shit, he's not laughing!'

Gilgamesh looked up at a face set into a strange mixture between a pout and a frown. His round orbs gave her an annoyingly cute look of consternation, the image not helped in the slightest by the parrot that had magically appeared atop his shoulder.

Gilgamesh bit her lip, but could not suppress her urges any longer. She lifted her hand upwards, slowly, gently, until it rested on top of his head. She pet him once, marvelling at the soft texture of his hair. Enkidu let out a soft whine of confusion, and it took all of her fraying self control not to squash him to her chest.

'My treasure is truly the most dangerous of them all.'

With that simple action, the King of Heroes felt as if the weight of the world was lifted from her shoulders. The aches and pains of battle faded into nothingness, and Gilgamesh experienced contentment.

Unfortunately, such peace would not last long.

A loud thunk echoed from their right, breaking the serene atmosphere. 2 pairs of eyes darted towards the source of the sound, and beheld the form of Sariel, body half concealed by the shrubbery, and her face planted in the dirt.

///

Waking up hadn't been pleasant. The harsh rays of the sun pricked like needles at her eyeballs, and her entire body felt like it had been hit by a semi-truck. Sariel blearily noted the presence of two hands supporting her thighs, carting her off to god knows where.

Opening her eyes, the rabbit-woman was greeted with a mouth full of green hair and a strange squirming sensation in her stomach. There was something almost dream-like about the feeling, enough so that Sariel felt content to simply shut her eyelids and drift back off to sleep. The aura radiating from the person was warm and comforting, and she snuggled further into it hoping to once more enter blissful sleep.

Sadly, such happiness was not in the cards for Sariel.

"Oh? It seems the skittish rabbit is finally awake~"

A rich, husky and slightly amused voice broke her from her reverie, and she felt herself doused with a metaphorical bucket of ice-water. Every hair on her body stood on end as memories came rushing back, and a million emotions ran through the rabbit-woman's mind.

Anguish, as she beheld Enkidu's fallen form

Shock, as she watched him rise from the dead

Fear, as the earth trembled in a battle between two forces of nature

And finally, complete bewilderment. She had been barely cognisant, mind weighed down by both tiredness and pain, but she could still make out two blurry figures. Green rushed towards gold, about to strike down the haughty King, and Sariel had been filled with relief.

'Finally, this nightmare will be over!'

She had thought so at the time, at least.

She was completely, terribly, utterly wrong

Instead of defeating his opponent with a final mighty attack, instead of striking down the unresisting oppressor of the monkey-clan, what did that idiot do?!

He asked that woman to be friends! How he had managed to reach such a conclusion was beyond her, but she at least content herself in the thought that his wilful optimism would be shut down. That haughty golden bitch seemed entirely too stuck up her own arse to even consider such an offer. Sariel was utterly confident she would reject his offer, and let out a premature sigh of relief.

He would definitely be upset, and as his big sister she would hold and comfort him, letting him know that there was nothing else he could have done. He would have smiled and accepted her wise words, held out a hand to her, and she would have daintily accepted the offer. They would have looked into each other's eyes, and he would have talked about how much she meant to him, a-and then she would smile, and whisper coyly in his ear, and then… and then… Sariel wasn't too sure what would happen next, but she was sure she could have improvised in the moment.

'It was going to be perfect!'

'So why…Why were they sitting next to each other, LAUGHING and SMILING like they had always been friends?!'

It had boggled the brain, and sent Sariel's already sleep-deprived mind only into deeper despair. The last thing she had seen was that damnable witch patting the head of her friend!

And then darkness.

"To think, you would have the gall to ignore the King. When one such as I speaks, I expect a prompt response."

"Hey, be nice! I'm sure Sariel is just tired."

Mouth gaped open in a rather unladylike fashion, Sariel could only watch the ongoing proceedings with a certain sense of looming dread.

"I don't do 'nice', a king such as me has no need for such frivolities! When I speak, people should rush to do my bidding!"

"You're not gonna make any more friends that way, Gil-chan."

Enkidu spoke in a slightly admonishing tone, almost like he was correcting a misbehaving child. Sariel absently wondered when exactly it was that he had grown enough to now be the one piggybacking her instead of the other way around.

"Hmmph, see if I care! And stop shortening my name like that, it's demeaning!"

"Awww, you don't like it? I thought friends are supposed to give each other nicknames!"

The golden woman, source of all her current problems, blushed red like a schoolgirl.

Hysteria started to claw at her mind, as the rabbit-woman giggled deliriously.

'Haha…I realise it now! I must have died and got transported into some sort of dystopian hell world. There's no way any of this makes sense otherwise.'

Heedless of Sariel's inner monologue, Gilgamesh began fiddling with a lock of her hair in an almost maidenly fashion. This was completely at odds, of course, with the worryingly predatory grin present on her face.

When she next spoke, it was with a throaty purr that left strange butterflies inside the rabbit-girls stomach.

"Well, I suppose I can allow it in private. You won't abuse such a boon, will you?"

Her voice was like liquid sex, a feast for the ears, and Sariel wondered when exactly everything went wrong.

Enkidu, completely oblivious, just nodded with a happy smile.

And so, both the clod of mud and the King of Heroes trudged along, hauling along a catatonic and scaroused bunnygirl.

///

The sun sat high in the sky, the air was warm and peaceful, and Liu Jang, 23rd chieftain of the monkey clan, was rooted to the spot in fear. He knew not whether to laugh or cry, as he stared upwards in despair into wine-red eyes narrowed in disdain. Despite the dirt marring her form, she looked no less imposing as before.

He wondered if this was punishment for his misspent youth

Despite being a wizened man of many years, he found himself stumbling over his words in panic. Looking over the shoulder of the statuesque woman was their supposed 'saviour', grinning happily as if nothing was wrong with the world. To the boy's side was little Sariel, dithering to and fro in nervous excitement. He tried to meet her eyes, but her stare was locked firmly on the ground.

'You were supposed to help us, not side with that crazy golden psycho!'

He let out a rattling exhale, trying once more to calm his rapidly beating heart. Face set in fragile determination, he spoke up.

"Ah, these old ears aren't what they used to be. What did you want me to do again?"

The green-haired youth hummed in acknowledgment, and Liu Jang tried to ignore the way the gold-clad woman was eyeing him like something she found stuck on the bottom of her shoe.

"No worries old man! I think both you and Gilgamesh got off on a bad start, but there's no reason you can't make up now! And of course, to do that, I believe both of you should apologise!"

The boy said all of this with a scarily happy smile, and after a second of dumbstruck silence the monkey chieftain realised that he was being completely serious. He had brought that monster all the way back to apologise?! Liu Jang turned his face once more to the left, and witnessed Sariel burying her face in her hands in mortified embarrassment.

The golden woman's arrogant smirk turned brittle and fixed, as if it had been carved on her face by a sculptor. If it was possible, Liu was sure he would have been burnt alive with the look she was currently giving him. He gulped.

"I…Am…Sorry."

The woman grit out every word, drawing out each syllable as if even the action of speaking to him caused physical pain. Her red eyes glowed with the promise of violence, hands clenching at her sides, and a wave of killing intent wafted outwards from her body. Liu Jang was especially proud of himself when he did not faint.

Completely heedless of the tense atmosphere, the green-haired boy clapped in delight, and turned his smiling visage towards the poor monkey-man.

"Okay…Now that Gilgamesh has apologised, it's your turn old man!"

Liu Jang was completely stupefied.

'W-What did I even DO to apologise for?! She was the one who came here and attacked us, not the other way around! If anything, that woman should be the one kow-towing to ME for all the trouble she's caused!'

The chieftain kept his face carefully blank from any of his internal thoughts, of course. If he showed even a hint of displeasure, he wasn't sure what would happen to him. The memory of how he had been slapped around like an unruly child was still engraved deep within his mind.

Diplomacy, thankfully, was part of Liu Jang's vast repertoire of skills. Let it not be said that ass-kissing is a useless talent.

"Ah, my humblest apologies, my lady. I am sorry for having inconvenienced your magnificence."

The woman sniffed in haughty superiority, before relieving the pressure of her glare with a dismissive huff. As soon as she looked elsewhere, the monkey-man almost collapsed on shaking knees, and one his villagers grasped him by the shoulders and escorted him away with haste.

'If I ever have to see any gold again, it will be too soon.'

///

Walking the path back to the little log cabin, Enkidu pondered upon his good fortune. He had woken up upon this earth just a little more than 7 days ago, and already he had made 2 whole friends! A happy feeling had been suffusing his entire body since this morning, and it did not seem to be abating. The others around him, however, didn't seem to share in his jubilation.

Sariel, now in her rabbit form, was nestling atop his head after claiming she was tired. She had not gotten the spot without conflict though, as his parrot companion had fought tooth and nail over such a vaunted position. Sadly, the little avian had been relegated to his shoulder, and had been giving off the impression he was pouting ever since.

'Quite the impressive feat for an animal with a beak.'

Yet such things had only served to give way to further problems, as Gil-chan had been glaring at the white rabbit ever since, although Enkidu thought it was all quite silly. She was a little too big to sit on his head after all, so there was no need to be jealous.

'Maybe I'm misunderstanding?'

From what Sariel had repeatedly told him, Enkidu knew he wasn't the best at understanding others' intentions. If it wasn't something clear cut like "sad" or "happy", he still had a lot of trouble trying to decipher what, exactly, people were feeling.

He didn't let it get him down though, for he still had all the time in the world to figure it out. And with his new friends by his side, he felt like he could do anything!

'But first, I gotta talk to Auntie Diana.'

After his battle with Gilgamesh, Enkidu felt as if every one of his senses had been enhanced tenfold. Every leaf on every tree, the worms writhing in the mud, fish pushing their heads up from a shallow stream, he experienced it all. Although it sounded overwhelming, and it had been at first, in the span of a few short hours it had become more and more natural. He could feel all of these sensations, yes, but without focusing on them they shifted away from his foremost thoughts and into the subconscious, almost like white noise.

Currently he was tracking Diana's scent, moonlight mixed with something metallic, all the way back to her house. The boy wasn't too sure what had happened to her that night, caught up in his fight as he was, but he could tell she was at least alive and in good health.

Enkidu wasn't sure he would have been able to forgive Gil-chan otherwise

Still, everything had somehow ended up going the way of his best possible scenario. Everyone apologised, no-one was seriously hurt, and he had gotten a new companion out of it as well!

As the sight of lilies and lush grass came into view, Sariel twitched her rabbit nose, sniffing the air, before leaping from her perch. Landing on the ground, she spoke in that same squeaky voice she adopted whenever she was in bunny form.

"Ah, E-Enkdiu… I think it's best you stay out here for a bit whilst I go talk to mom."

"Why?"

The boy stared towards her, uncomprehending, whilst Gilgamesh let out a derisive snort. Content to ignore her presence, the rabbit-woman carried on.

"I-I just, err, have something private to talk about with her! Y-Yeah that's it! It's just girl stuff, y'know, n-not something you'd be interested in. Don't worry, I won't be long!"

Her speech came out in a hurried jumble, nervousness coating her words so clearly even someone as dense as Enkidu could see it. He thought for a second to object, or to at least ask what exactly 'girl stuff' was, before pausing. He remembered something Auntie Diana had told him a few days before, about how although both he and Sariel were friends, they still weren't close enough to share everything with each other.

And he recalled, from some of the stories he had read, about how girls would get flustered after a male character walked in on them in the shower, or some other contrived action. Truth be told, Enkidu had never truly understood the point of these scenes or their significance, and every time he tried to research such things he was quickly intercepted by an irate bunny-girl slamming the book shut in front of him. Maybe this could be something related?

'What did 'ecchi' mean anyways?'

It seemed apparent that, even though there was so much to learn in the world, not all knowledge was deemed appropriate to learn.

He vehemently disagreed.

The good, the bad, the ugly, Enkidu was not afraid of anything. For to die in ignorance was the greatest sin, and answering questions long unknown was the greatest bliss. Still, the boy could at least understand that others may not see things the way he did. And it was his job, as a friend, to respect such things.

So Enkidu smiled, nodded and said nothing else. For in pushing he would gain nothing.

Sariel seemed almost dumbstruck for a second, clearly not having expected such easy acceptance, before steeling herself and leaving towards the wooden house without looking back.

///

Both Enkidu and Gilgamesh sat in comfortable silence at the edge of the river, admiring the surface of the water glimmering in the sun. A carp swam past, mouth wide open in search of food, before pausing abruptly. It's beady eyes flicked towards a figure dressed in white cloth, and pushed itself forward eagerly. A finger reached down, stroking the fish's scales from head to tail. It let out a little happy gurgle, before leaving downstream.

Turning towards the King of Heroes, he was met with a strange look of confusion, like someone trying to figure out a puzzle but was missing a few pieces. Enkidu wondered, not for the first time, how exactly she had gotten such an epithet.

So he asked.

"Hey, Gil-chan, what does it mean to be the King of Heroes?"

The woman in question seemed to startle suddenly, as if electricity had been run straight through her spine. She examined him after a moment, a contemplative frown on her usually arrogant face.

"Well, in answer to your question, let me ask you this. What do you believe a King to be, my dear Enkidu?"

"Hmm…The ruler of a nation?"

Gilgamesh grunted dismissively, although the way her mouth curled into a grin belied her interest.

"A basic answer, although not one that is wholly wrong. Ruling is just one of the many jobs a king holds. You must understand, though, that a ruler and a king are not the same entity. A king can be a ruler, but a ruler is not necessarily a king. Do you understand so far?"

Green hair whipped around a beaming face, as Enkidu nodded in endearing enthusiasm. Gilgamesh's hands seemed to almost twitch for a moment, as if to grasp at something, before they went still. Her face had morphed into a genuine smile, though, as she continued to become enraptured within her own teachings.

"To be a king, you must not only be capable of ruling, but also possess strength and integrity above all others. You must be the mightiest, the most intelligent, the most worthy. You must reach the absolute pinnacle of human potential, and pursue greatness even into the heavens. For to be a king is to be a god."

There was something in the way that she said it, something in the way she intoned her words, that was possessed of an ethereal beauty. The sheer conviction in which she spoke was awe-inspiring, and Enkidu found himself drawing closer unconsciously.

"And thus, to become the King of Heroes is to ascend all others in any attribute. Every characteristic intrinsic to heroes; wealth, women, power, prestige must all be pursued in excess. There can be no other way to live, no other way to perceive the world, for the King of Heroes must stand above all, and put their interests above all."

Whilst before she spoke with conviction, now her voice was tinged with an almost bittersweet aftertaste. It was almost as if the vaunted Gilgamesh had become a different person entirely to the one he knew, and Enkidu frowned in distaste. He digested her words, and found them lacking something.

"The King of Heroes… It doesn't sound like something I'd ever want to be. To be so far above everyone else that nothing but you matters… It must be awfully lonely."

Gilgamesh seemed shocked, as if he had spoken some sort of heresy. She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but clicked her jaw closed instantly after. The woman tried to explain away his statements, but the words stuck to the back of her throat.

"Gil-chan…Why do you even need to be the King of Heroes anyway?"

His manner radiated utmost sincerity, and his face was locked in a frown of sadness. Enkidu noted distantly that his magic was leaking slightly into the environment, but he paid it no mind, his entire being focused in front of him. Gilgamesh seemed to dither, another uncharacteristic action, before letting out a sigh reserved only for those getting on in age.

"I suppose, if I could tell anyone it would be you, Enkidu. To understand such a thing, you must first know a little more about myself. Ah… Where to start?"

She let out a soft exhale, and Enkidu marvelled slightly at how she made such a simple action look graceful. Still, he wasn't distracted enough to answer a question from his friend!

"Maybe at the beginning?"

"Hah! I suppose you are right. Very well then, let me regale to you the story of how Gilgamesh came to be."

///

My earliest memories were of gold and opulence. I remember a crown placed upon my head, songs sung in my glory and adults clamouring for my attention since the day I grew conscious of the world. Even my parents waited upon me on hand and foot, for it was obvious to all that I was chosen.

I was bequeathed the name 'Gilgamesh', for running through my veins ran the blood of heroes. A 'reincarnation', they told me, and it showed. As I grew up, everything I put my mind to I completed with ease. Painting, calligraphy, reciting poems; I was unparalleled in every pursuit. I picked up and dropped things at a whim, for nothing managed to hold my attention for long. Any joy I might have once found in such banal activities soon dulled into monotony, and I knew I had to turn my attention to something else.

I was only eight at the time, but my request for combat training was completed without question. I received storied tutors from all around the world, and in little time I had surpassed them all. The rush of battle gave me a thrill that nothing else had before, but even that soon faded. as I defeated every opponent brought to me with the effort one would use to blink.

So, I sought stronger and more difficult challenges, pushing myself to the limit each and every time. I struggled, fought and persevered, and with every victory my power only grew in magnitude. It was exhilarating, truly and utterly, and every morning was brighter than the last.

Until one day it wasn't.

I can't pinpoint exactly when, but at some point I realised I had reached a plateau. It no longer mattered whether I improved my strength, for every foe fell before me equally. I tried to drown myself in women and earthly delights, but nothing could compare to that one sensation. That feeling of nirvana was ever lost to me, slipping from my grasp, and nothing I could do would return it.

As the years passed by, I realised that the people who lauded me as the reincarnation of Gilgamesh were intending to use me for some sort of political gain. Unfortunately for them, I had no interest in such things. The petty squabbling of those beneath me was of no interest and grated on the ears, and so one day I left without a word. There was no reason to stay chained to such people, after all, for I knew I could never experience joy again in that place.

I roamed the land for many years, sampling delicacies from any place that caught my fancy and challenging all of their strongest warriors, but none could hold a candle to my might. I grew accustomed to taking trinkets and baubles from my defeated enemies, and after a while it began to become an obsession. For every mystical item I acquired, I felt a small sliver of that sought-after feeling, and thus I pursued greater and greater relics. All the treasures of the world belonged to the great Gilgamesh of old, after all, so such behaviour was only natural. The more powerful the treasure, the longer the sense of happiness would last, and so my single purpose became to return all things to their rightful place, within the treasury of the king.

Right and wrong no longer held any meaning, only my word, and every so-called 'hero' sent to stop me was pushed to heel and their weapons rightfully repossessed. I began to grow resentful of these heroes, not for their actions, but for their lack of any conviction. Every battle was the same, boring and uninteresting, with all of them grovelling on the floor at the conclusion. These men lacked any sort of pride, and to me that was, is abhorrent. I had gorged myself upon tales of grand and magnificent heroes, yet the cold reality of the world was that such figures no longer existed. Humanity had moved into an era of mediocrity, and supernatural forces feasted on their weakness like vultures to a corpse.

Humans, I came to understand, are viewed as the weakest of all the races that inhabit this earth. It is sadly not speculation, but an absolute truth. Humanity only possesses a fragment of their former glory, and they fall victim to outside forces with laughable ease. Most live in complete ignorance of their pathetic station, and even people who can comprehend the supernatural are too afraid to take up arms. Those blessed with sacred gears are even worse, for most of them fall to the temptation of devils, willingly or not.

And so I decided that I, inheritor to the will of Gilgamesh, shall become the King of Heroes. To become the strongest humanity has to offer, regather all of man's treasures from unworthy hands, and snuff out the encroaching darkness cast upon the world.

And maybe, just maybe, in that endeavour I would find what I was seeking. To be able, once more, to taste that absolute ecstasy.

///

Enkidu sat rooted in place as he listened to his friend speak with such strange reverence. It seemed he still had much more to learn about the world and its inhabitants than he had previously imagined, and the thought sent a small tingle of anticipation down his spine. Still, there was something he needed to ask.

"You know I'm probably not human, right Gil-chan? Ah, I'm not trying to 'encroach on humanity' or anything, y'know, it's just, I err- I like humanity! Yeah, They make loaaads of interesting things, and their stories are especially cool! Hey, have you heard the one about-"

Gilgamesh cut him off with a hand before he could continue his rant, chuckling slightly.

"Do not misunderstand. I do not care overly much about humanity, Enkidu, but I do still feel a certain duty towards them, no matter how pitiful they have become. Whatever you are, I do not begrudge it, for more than everything you have proven worthy to stand at my side."

Enkidu felt his cheeks warm at her sincerity.

"I see… I'll help you then."

His words thrummed with conviction, for Enkidu would not let his friend pursue such a lonely path after such words.

"Hmm?"

"Your goal, I said I'll help. I know I'm ignorant of much of the world, but I'm sure I can do something. You can't give me such a sad backstory and expect me to do nothing!"

Gilgamesh was bewildered for a second, before her face morphed into a visage of graceful acceptance.

"I do not know what part of my story was 'sad', but I find myself curious about something else. What reason do you have for your kindness, my dear Enkidu? If it is riches you seek, I will be more than happy to-"

This time it was Enkidu's turn to interrupt, as the air around him seemed to shimmer.

"I don't care about that Gil-chan! We agreed to be friends, right? And the friend of a hero is supposed to support them through every trial and tribulation, tag-along in every adventure, and provide assistance when they are feeling down! If you truly are the King of Heroes, there can be no other reason for my actions apart from wanting to see your dream fulfilled. After all…"

He paused, taking a breath, and the world froze in tandem. Gilgamesh looked forward, spellbound, as warmth washed over form and embalmed her spirit. She moved closer, as if in a trance, until they were sat side-by-side, with the flesh of her thighs brushing against his.

"I think chasing happiness is a beautiful dream."

Lost in his words, the Golden King didn't see his hand move until it was too late. A strange sensation emanated from atop her head, and she blinked in stupor.

'Did he just…pet me?!"

"Wow, I see now why people like doing that so much. It feels surprisingly nice!!"

Using up all of her fraying self control not to give in to his tender ministrations, Gilgamesh stood up abruptly, face trembling in a mix between mortification and something else.

"Y-You… Only I'm allowed to do that! At least ask for permission first!"

"You didn't ask me for permission though, Gil-chan. I was just copying you!"

"Why you…"

Although outwardly her face was painted with indignation, her heart beat to a different tune. A light feeling stirred within her stomach, akin to butterflies, and looking into the face of her greatest treasure only intensified the sensation. It was unfamiliar, yes, but not wholly unpleasant.

As they bickered, Gilgamesh wondered how she had been missing such a thing all of her life.

It seemed that recently, everything was going her way.

///

'Why is everything going to shit?!'

Sariel looked up at her mother, face locked into a scowl.

"Why even say anything at all?! I-I don't understand, at least tell me the full story!"

Diana's visage was stern yet sad, and her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. Her voice hitched slightly, before speaking once more.

"I'm sorry, my daughter…I know you must think me a terrible mother, but I truly cannot say more. It is something, I fear, you must figure out for yourself."

Sariel ground her teeth together, a whole day's worth of frustration bubbling to the surface. She tried to take a deep breath and calm down, but it was infinitely harder without Enkidu's reassuring presence.

" I just… I can't even believe it. You have been a goddess this entire time? And never told me? Why?!"

Diana let out a anguished sigh, and rubbed at her eyes with a napkin. It was almost enough to calm Sariel down, but her feelings were running too hot to cool so easily.

"You must understand, daughter, everything I have ever done has only been for your benefit. The life of a demigod is not easy, this fact being especially true for you given your parentage."

"See! You keep talking about it, but you still can't give a straight answer, not before and certainly not now! Are you ashamed of him or something, becau-"

"NO!"

Sariel was taken aback by the volume of her mothers frantic interruption, too shocked to continue speaking.

"Please, my dear Sariel, don't ever think your father didn't care for us. Even if you do not know him, even if you have never seen him in your life, I implore you, my dear daughter…Don't think any less of him."

The heartbroken lilt in her mothers voice was too much for Sariel, and all her rage evaporated, replaced only with a yawning pit in her stomach. She took one step forward, then two, before rushing forwards and catching Diana in a hug.

Both women sobbed quietly into each other, letting out all their deepest frustrations. After a few sniffles, Sariel spoke up once more, voice cracking with emotion.

"Train me."

Diana nodded without hesitation, and although her face was tracked with tears, a tiny smile bloomed on her face as mother and daughter embraced once more.

Completely unbeknownst to the duo, Bao Lin was laying in the same room, completely still, trying to disappear into the couch. Did they really forget that he was still here?!

'Fuck…I really hate family drama."

///

It had been over an hour, but time seemed to fly in the presence of Enkidu's new friend. The ease with which they could talk was almost as if they had known each other their whole lives, compared to the rather short truth. Even so, Enkidu found himself entangled in another of Gil-chan's grand tales, as she narrated to him her adventures in china.

"-And I told the annoying mongrel, very reasonably may I add, that if he did not tell me exactly where the crystal cave was that I would shove my sword so far down his throat- Oh, it seems your pet rabbit has returned."

Gilgamesh sounded faintly disgruntled, although Enkidu couldn't figure out why. She was telling the truth though, for Sariel was bounding towards them in her human form, face set in a mask of steely determination.

"Ah, Enkidu…I have something I need to tell you."

The boy in question cocked his head in curiosity. Taking it as a go ahead, Sariel carried on.

"I've come to a decision, and… I don't think I'm ready to go on an adventure with you."

Enkidu wasn't sure what type of face he was making, but it couldn't have been good, for Sariel's mask of resolve was starting to crack and her voice began wavering.

"I-It's just, I watched your fight, y'know! It was so destructive, so scary…next to you my powers amount to nothing."

The boy made to interrupt, but was cut off by an increasingly frantic-sounding rabbit girl.

"I know what you're gonna say, Enkidu, and I understand. You might say you don't care how powerful I am, or that you'll protect me, but that's not the point! Yesterday, I felt so weak, so useless… I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I became a liability to you on your travels! That's why… I can't come with you, Enkidu."

It was almost as if the world was crumbling around him, and he was powerless to put back together the pieces. His eyes stung with foreign feeling, and Enkidu realised, absently, that he was crying.

He couldn't say he enjoyed the feeling

"B-but Sariel, aren't friends supposed to stick together? How can we be friends if we are so far away?!"

A fond, bittersweet smile adorned the rabbit-woman's face, and tried to ruffle his hair, before realising that he was already taller than her.

'That damn weed!'

"Don't think I'm just gonna stay here doing nothing though, you dummy! I'm gonna train hard, hard enough until I'm ready to stand next to you, shoulder to shoulder!"

Surprisingly, it was not Enkidu that responded, but Gilgamesh instead. The woman in question had somehow slithered right behind the boy, nestling her head at the crook of his neck. Sariel felt a stab of irritation within her breast, and her determination to leave him alone with such a scarlet woman began to crumble.

"Don't argue, my dear, the rabbit has a point. It is probably for the best to let her stew here for a little while. Whilst it seems she possesses at least some semblance of drive, she is not at the point yet where she can defend herself against the monsters of the real world. Who knows, maybe the next time we meet, her meagre skills might even have improved!"

Sariel had been content to ignore the gold-clad woman before, simply not acknowledging her presence and arrogant smirks, but such words could not go unanswered.

"A-And you! I don't know your true intentions, but Enkidu better be uncorrupted by the time I get back! I don't want you two getting up to a-any, uhm, f-funny business…"

Sadly, with the way she blushed crimson at the end, her challenging statement was met only with mocking laughter.

"You wouldn't even be able to stop me if you tried, girl. I suppose I can respect your courage, if nothing else. To demand anything of the King is to court death."

Before anything else could be said, both women were interrupted by Enkidu's exasperated voice, still slightly hoarse.

"Stop fighting, you guys! And Sariel, if you're really serious about this… Here, take this."

The boy whistled, and soon a small bird flew into his waiting finger. Sariel noted, with great annoyance, that it was that same parrot.

"Terrence here can track my scent across the entire country! Whenever you want to find me, just ask this little guy, and he'll lead you straight to me!"

The rabbit-girl inspected the preening avian with a suspicious eye, before carefully accepting the gift. The bird almost looked like it was going to peck her, but stopped under the withering gaze of Enkidu. Sariel still had a question to ask though.

"You called your parrot terrence? Where did you even get that name from?!"

"Huh? I didn't call him that, Terrence is his name!"

Too mentally exhausted to deal with Enkidu's usual brand of weirdness, Sariel simply motioned for the group to come inside.

Within her chest, the flame of ambition only grew in intensity

///

Dinner was an awkward affair, every member of table tense except for both Enkidu and Gilgamesh of course, who were completely oblivious and annoyingly haughty respectively.

After the meal was done and all the plates were cleaned, both Sariel and Diana engaged the boy in heartfelt goodbyes. Soon enough, both the King of Heroes and her only friend left the home, travelling south through the humid night air.

Soon the trees started to thin, and before his eyes Enkidu started to see more and more manmade paths and structures, until they finally cleared the forest. The boy looked out into the distance, marvelling at the sight of a million blinking lights studded like jewels on the horizon. Even in the dead of night, the cities of men seemed to never sleep.

Enkidu could not help himself, and let out a bubbling laugh of pure joy. Just the view alone was enough to make his heart race in anticipation. He turned to his companion, gleeful, and found her looking towards the moon with a contemplative gaze. Enkidu poked her on the shoulder, letting out another laugh at the strange noise she made when his fingers touched her flesh, and pointed forwards.

"Hmm… I think we should go this way!"

Gilgamesh let out a small sigh, before grinning in wry amusement.

"I think we should leave the navigation to me Enkidu. Now, what did you want to do first?"

He did not have to think about it for long.

"Ah, I know, let's go find a tsuchinoko! I bet they're really interesting!"

And so, two of the strongest beings in the world set off on a grand and difficult quest. A quest to locate a fat-looking snake for no other reason than it 'looks interesting'.