by user
«There is no gain in using force against him. The God of War gave him all his power» Gilgamesh said.
«So why do you fight him? What are your intentions?» Damian asked.
«You understand nothing, he is not my enemy. Enkidu is my only and beloved brother, my goal is to free him from the dark energy that turned him into a demon».
Everyone stood still, Mohat arrived on the battlefield, while the girls slowly approached using the rocks to hide.
Enkidu reappeared after that great explosion of wind and fire. With all his strength he took the golden spear and hurled it at Damian. At that moment Mohat gave a blow of wind that hit the spear and sent it flying from the battlefield.
«Be careful, it’s a tough bone!» Mohat warned them.
The six warriors had all gathered, surrounded Enkidu and Gilgamesh.
«Tell us where the Village Chiefs are!» Damian shouted at him.
«Only if you help me defeat Enkidu» Gilgamesh replied.
They were puzzled by that answer.
«It’s a trap!» Diosmed said, then attacked the Spirit who with his ax rejected the Dragalòs.
«How can we trust you?» Shayla asked.
«You cannot, but you must. I’m not the one who wants to destroy you» Gilgamesh replied.
Enkidu became charged with darkness, the increase of power was enough to make the earth tremble under their feet. Damian and Tanya threw themselves at the attack. Tanya was the first to launch her flames against the Shadow of Darkness and after Damian struck him in the chest with the Dragon’s Claw, creating a gash to the high. Enkidu made a verse of rage and summoned his golden spear. At that time the wound he had received healed.
«He cured himself!» Emmanuel said, astonished by the event.
Diosmed continued to fight against Gilgamesh, who parried and easily dodged all his blows. Damian, Tanya, Shayla and Mohat surrounded Enkidu. The two Brothers of the Wind launched many small tornadoes against him, Tanya threw a fireball and finally Damian rushed back with his dagger, striking the enemy at the abdomen. Enkidu remained unharmed once more, then he took Damian by the right arm and threw him to the ground. He made the earth shake, dropping the two girls too. He threw his spear against Mohat, using his dark power, without even touching it. For a breath, the Wind Warrior succeeded to avoid the blow of the enemy, thanks to his quick reflexes.
«Tell me we have to do!» Diosmed said.
«You have to seal it, it’s the only way to stop Enkidu» Gilgamesh explained.
Diosmed interrupted the fight and ran to his friends to deliver the message.
«Yes, but how can we seal it?» Damian asked.
«I have an idea! First you distracted him, then the two of you used the wind to lift the sand and wrapped him completely» Tanya explained.
Emmanuel and Diosmed with their blades attacked Enkidu, who promptly with his spear rejected the attacks of the White Sword and Dragalòs. The two brothers used the wind to wrap it completely with sand, without involving the two boys. Tanya then summoned, using his hands, a large fire sphere that hit the sand casing that had wrapped Enkidu. The sand turned into a spherical-shaped transparent glass cage. Gilgamesh took advantage of that instant to put a seal with his right hand on the glass. An eight-pointed star with a blue color appeared, at the center of which was a wedge surrounded by a circle, and Enkidu froze. A strong blue energy pervaded the entire glass structure, then in thousand pieces were shattered. Mohat with his power protected everyone from shrapnel.
«Goodbye my brother!» Gilgamesh said, greeting Enkidu one last time.
It appeared the Gate of the Oblivion, for the first time they saw together. Each of them saws something different, just as it had happened with Damian. The soul of Enkidu, now devoid of darkness and anger, smiled at his beloved brother and then stepped through the threshold of the huge Blue Door who closed and disappeared.
In an instant the six boys surrounded Gilgamesh.
«Now explain everything!» Damian threatened him.
«Do you think you’re scaring me?», Gilgamesh sneered, «Do you know who I am ? I owe you for Enkidu, I’m finally almost free!»
«We know who you are, now take us to Raven!» Mohat urged him, summoning his power.
«I see. You are his friends, yet he had sacrificed himself to avoid fighting and bloodshed. I didn’t think anybody would come for him» the King of Uruk said.
«Perhaps you will answer with this!» Diosmed shouted Diosmed while pierced him from side to side with Dragalòs.
«It’s all useless. I’m already dead, can’t you see? I don’t want to fight with you. If you lower your weapons, we can find an agreement».
«Do as he says, Diosmed» Damian said, and the friend obeyed.
Gilgamesh sat down with his legs crossed and invited them to sit.
«Come on, I’m a ghost! You have you perhaps afraid?», he laughed profusely, «So where to start? Oh, yes! From the day of my death! For years I sought the eternal life, to no avail. An evil snake ate my salvation and unfortunately, I met him again on the day of my death. From body I became spirit and I traveled on board a boat that sailed on the Black Sea of the Hell. I arrived at the presence of the Devil, he showed to me before in the form of a black snake, then he assumed his true face of the King of Evil. No one can oppose him once you arrive in his kingdom. For about at will, I was put in a dark place with Enkidu, my beloved brother that he had lost his mind. He was returned to his original form of the evil beast, even more obscure because in his heart the Dark Lord had put his essence. For an immeasurable time we fought incessantly. Then one day, who know for what reason, he came to us and told me that he would make me return in the world of the living, on condition that I carry out his wishes. He made me put these two gold bracelets loads of dark energy and so I returned in the form of spirit in the world of the living. I was bound to him through these bracelets and if I miss to respect the pact Enkidu would have destroyed me forever. Now ten years are passed since I was in this world. I tried to avoid executing his orders, but Enkidu gave me no respite, much less Naav. Although I has become immortal, I have not found peace yet» Gilgamesh explained.
«So, you work for him! I knew it! And now that Enkidu is dead, what will you do?» Damian asked angrily.
«A less weight, but I’m not still free if these bracelets are intact cause they bind myself to him» Gilgamesh said.
«Tell us where the Village Chiefs are!» Mohat shouted again.
«They are in the Pyramid of Naav. That‘s man has received great powers from Devil. I only obeyed orders, I brought those men to that place. They were the demons evoked by Naav from the Hell, through its symbol, to kill your people. The King of Evil has killed all my Gods. I have no one, my only close friend now is gone. Even the God Shamash not have been able to do anything against him. And moreover, his garden has become a Hell Gate!» Gilgamesh answered.
«A passage for the Demons! And how many come out?» Diosmed Asked.
«By the hundreds. And they radiate throughout the Egypt. It is not the only to be under the control of Naav, indeed there are two more. One is in Jerusalem and another at the inside of his Pyramid, which was built by the Demons. Only if we can eliminate the Hell Gates we will deprive Naav of his army and his powers will fail!» Gilgamesh replied.
«Jerusalem? We must do something!» Emmanuel said bravely.
«Tell us how we must do to close them!» Mohat said.
«I’ll take care of the gate situated in the Garden of Shamash. The one in Jerusalem, however, you’ll have to seal you. And to close the last port found in the Pyramid of Naav, you must destroy the entire structure» the Spirit said.
«And who will protect us from the Behemot? How can we trust you?» Tanya teased him.
«You must, since I am the only one who can help you. You come with me, Son of the Dragon» Gilgamesh said, turning to Damian, who was amazed.
«What are your intentions?» Diosmed asked.
«There is no problem Diosmed. I will go with him, the others go to Jerusalem. We’ll meet again somehow» Damian replied.
«Because we can’t go directly to Giza!» Diosmed retorted.
«The powers of Pharaoh are related to the Gates of Hell. You must first destroy them and then, once weakened, it will be possible to defeat him forever!» Gilgamesh replied.
«How did he get so strong?» Shayla asked.
«He is a shrewd man, he has even subjugated the Devil! Now there is no more time, take this sphere of light. It will lead you to Jerusalem!» Gilgamesh said placing their strange spheres, rough and transparent, with inside a white light.
«Be careful» Diosmed said to Damian and he nodded.
The five took those spheres and at the mere contact they disappeared into thin air.
10
The Egypt - The Room of Time and Memory
«Now come with me» Gilgamesh said placing his right hand on the left shoulder of Damian. They disappeared together and in an instant reappeared before a huge black mountain, whose summit was surrounded by clouds and lightning that prevented its sight. At its base there was a gigantic stone door with a rectangular shape with the Symbol of Naav engraved in the center.
«Who are you?» someone thundered with a sharp voice.
He was a demonic being with the body of a scorpion and in the place of the head he had the bust of a man. The scorpion part was black and had four legs, typical of the animal, and a tail that ended with a thin and curved purple spike. The human part, on the other hand, had a brownish complexion and a powerful physique. He had long black hair, a pointed nose, skinny lips and purple demon eyes. He held a long white spear, with which he threatened the young hero.
«It’s me, move!» Gilgamesh threatened him and the thing lowered its spear. Damian walked and the demon sniffed at him, then nodded in approval.
«Inside you flow the Divine Blood, otherwise he would not nod» Gilgamesh explained.
The door opened and they entered the huge Garden of Shamash. It was gloomy, dark, full of those half-man and half-animal creatures. There were men fused with lions, tigers, giraffes and spiders.
«What are these beings?» Damian asked.
«They are the Demons Anibri, with the body of an animal and the head of a man, placed to guard the Hell Gate. You were lucky, they let only those who have Divine Blood pass. Here it is, look among those wrinkled plants. That is the dark vortex from which the Demons come out at the behest of the King of Evil. Once this garden was rich with every vegetation. There were trees with all the fruits of the world, oaks, birches, pines, and shrubs of all kinds. The Diamar plant flourished in this place, from whose white flowers, shaped like a bell, diamonds were born. This divine place has been devastated by darkness. The trees were incinerated, everything turned black. The Garden of Shamash has lost all its former glory. Now follow me, I will help you defeat your weaknesses in the “Room of Time and Memory”» Gilgamesh explained.
They walked along a dirt road full of debris and thorns, eventually arriving at an hourglass-shaped door with a blue color. Gilgamesh touched it and the door took the function of an hourglass, the grains of sand began to descend rapidly. Once they had opened and crossed that door, which was in the rock of the mountain, they entered a room with blue walls and ceiling. Inside there were more than five hundred hourglasses affixed to the walls or placed on the ground.
«The walls seem to move away. This place is really weird» Damian said.
«Everything expands over time. Here an hour will seem endless. We will have everything we want, as time brings all things back. Now focus on you, on your human side. It is the first essence that you will have to accept» Gilgamesh explained.
The hourglasses began to flow in the opposite direction, the room suddenly began to turn all around him. Damian fainted without knowing why.
The sunlight came into the room and awakened him gently.
«Good morning, majesty, eat well» a servant said, handing him a tray full of food.
«Today who do you prefer, King Damian?» another servant asked.
Damian found himself on a throne of white marble and wore the clothes of kings, similar to those of Gilgamesh, a white tunic, a gray warrior’s skirt with wedges drawn on it and a golden belt that tied the suit to life. He also had a necklace and gold bracelets. On his head he wore a cone-shaped crown and a golden color mixed with shades of silver, all covered with precious stones set between them.
«My king, the Babylonians threaten to attack! What do you want to do?» the Councilor asked.
«Gilgamesh? What is happening? Where are we?» Damian asked.
«Sire, did you hit your head? You are raving!» the Councilor replied.
«Get up now, the people acclaim you. Follow me» a maid with a bow said.
Damian rose from his throne and crossed the arched entrance of a balcony that overlooked a square full of people.
«Long live the King Damian! Long live to Uruk!» the crowd cheered.
«Will you tell me what’s going on? And how can you be flesh and blood?» Damian asked Gilgamesh, who was playing the part of the counselor. The man wore a long light green dress with a small white hourglass painted at heart level. He had black hair and brown eyes and was alive.
«We have gone back in time, to when I was the king of the first city-state of history, or perhaps I should say when you were king!» Gilgamesh replied and then laughed with joy.
«People of Uruk, the King will protect us! The Babylonians will not conquer the city of Uruk!» the Annunciator said, a thin man with an aquiline nose and a shrill voice who was on Damian’s right, while the Counselor was on his left.
«Now it’s your turn. Make your war speech!» Gilgamesh urged.
Damian didn’t know what to say or what to do.
“It’s certainly a test! It’s all a fiction” he thought to himself.
«Pe... People of Uruk, I will protect you!» Damian shouted.
The crowd cheered him with great fervor, Damian turned his gaze to the people of Uruk and waved to the people. Many people were in that square surrounded by quadrangular columns. From the white balcony, with a semicircular shape, Damian could see the golden walls of the city, ten meters high. These had a pointed battlement and surrounded the entire rectangular perimeter of the city. Damian to the right of the royal palace noticed a large building with a quadrangular plan and a height of thirty meters. It consisted of seven floors of terraces that grew in height and had three long staircases, one main and two laterals. The latter allowed to reach the landing of the first terrace in conjunction with the main flight of stairs that continued towards the high up to a small silver temple that stood on top of that huge golden building.
«Now let’s go back in, my Lugal» the Counselor urged him.
«Lugal? Does it mean king?» Damian asked, without a reply.
He returned to the royal hall, in that sumptuous white building with a rectangular plan. The white bricks were set perfectly one by one. He was fifteen meters tall, had three floors and more than thirty rooms in total. There were a few windows and two balconies on each side. At the four corners of the building there were four towers twenty meters high that had pointed battlement. A rectangular door allowed access to the lower floor, full of statues and frescoes. On the sides of each door of the palace were the Lamassus, statues depicting of bulls with human heads and feathered wings, a symbol of strength and power worthy of the Lugal, ruler of the city of Uruk. The throne room had white walls like ivory and inside there were frescoes full of colors depicting the great deeds of King Damian. One depicted his fight against a huge green snake with a forked tongue. Even if he was mortally wounded in the belly, as if he did not want to die, he continued to fight. In the center of the room there was a red carpet three meters long and four meters wide, instead at the corners you could admire statues depicting Damian wearing king clothes. Hanging on the walls, or placed on small tables of pure wood, there w
ere elephant horns, hands of gorillas, hippopotamus heads and other hunting trophies of the king.
«Sire, would you like to drink from the horn?» a servant asked.
«No, thanks» Damian replied annoyed.
«How many women do you want for this night? One, two, all the women of the city?» another maid asked, who like the other wore a light blue dress with a white veil on her head. Both were of a unique and refined beauty, worthy of a king.
«None» he replied, causing the astonishment of those present.
«Admirable. Isn’t your humanity shaken by all this? Don’t you want to lie with all the women of the city? Don’t you want to see the hunting booty? You are a King, powerful and invincible, why don’t you destroy your rivals?» Gilgamesh provoked him.
«I don’t need the power of a king, I already have my powers. I just must learn to control them. Everything you offer me is useless for my goal» he replied in a polite tone.
Gilgamesh smiled mockingly, then left. Damian began to wander around the palace and admire the myriad beauties within it. He saw statues depicting him and exotic plants, he visited the dining room, which had enormous tables to eat, the bedrooms rich in pomp, the baths with light green water and the bathrooms with a large oval basin surrounded by the Lamassus. He also noticed the presence of various cuneiform symbols inscribed on the walls of the building. As he walked he decided to get the strange crown, bracelets and necklaces out of his head, and left them around the palace. Unaware of the strange magic used by the Room of Time and Gilgamesh, Damian tried to return to the present.
