PROLOGUE
Does a land of rats deserve to be ruled by a king of men? This carnival of prancing fools, with no respect for their true master, no respect for the beings that they were once and could be again, is descended blindly into the former, dwelling with rats.
I am the original, I have seen and lived in the greatest point in time that this frail humanity has ever experienced, and now that, like so much else, is left to writhe in the filth of its own passing. Disgusting, just as the world has become. Babylon, oh, great Babylon, splendor itself materialized into a city, gracefully split by an ancient, wise river, now all ruined, desecrated.
It's pondering like this that makes me sick that I was summoned into this damned Grail War; I, greatest of all yet master of none, he whose rightful domain refuses to bow to his legacy. Utterly pointless, beyond any level of satisfaction. Ten whole years have passed since I have been able to exert my kingly right over anyone or anything, but now I find that there's a new War calling me, perhaps another chance to show fools and cheap imitations why I am the King of Heroes.
So it is that I find myself here, in this decrepit church alongside that priest, listening to his speeches that bore me more than any silence, keeping my interest only in their abstract themes and purpose. Kotomine is an enigma, unique among today's half-breed human race. He's unpredictable, and he understands at least vaguely my interests, just as I so vaguely understand him, not bothering to care all too much. It is a relationship like few others I've seen, and one that holds my interest in this realm by a single, strained thread. For that, he has earned my respect, though he should come to know not to try to overextend his influence over mine, lest I heap him with the other mongrels populating this city.
It was just a few days ago that he walked in here, or rather he marched, as he always does, his footsteps reverberating on the coarse hardwood floor of the church. He was looking to the side, seeming to be avoiding eye contact with anything in the room, yet once he had passed the rows of pews he raised his head, smiling as if a plan of his had turned out in his favour. I dismissed this display as nothing unusual for the priest.
Kotomine, standing tall in front of me, smirked. “I have news that should interest you of all people, Archer. The new Grail War has begun, and already I have found a Servant and his Master. They were not what I had expected, especially on behalf of the Master.”
I crossed my arms. “I have little time for the comings and goings of mongrels, Kotomine, what purpose does this have for me? Do not expect that some foolish hero can entertain me so easily. What is so peculiar about these two that could possibly satisfy me?”
“I underestimated them.” Oh, now that managed to hook my interest. “I had originally thought that this Master would be naïve and a prime target for manipulation, but that is not how it was when I visited her. No, her only naïve action was to leave me be, holding suspicion but not open hostility in her heart. A pity, since her particular Servant would serve my purposes well in this coming war.”
Scoffing, I took a seat, and procured myself some wine. “What exactly did you have in mind for the Servant, Kotomine? Who was he?”
“As overseer of the Fifth Holy Grail War, I do need to keep myself informed, yes? I would have him act as my eyes, no more. He is a Lancer, I know that much, and he is not dissimilar to the Lancer of the last war, as I could glean from my interactions with he and his Master.” He let out a deep chuckle, as if there was some joke hidden in his words, but I let his convoluted meaning slip from my mind, and focused on what was direct. Kotomine could hide it well, but I knew that beyond that dark grin he truly desired a different outcome, and had failed his objective. I couldn't help but smile at this thought. Curiosity boiled inside me, learning of this new Lancer. Perhaps, then, this Grail War may be of interest to me, if there were more Servants like him. Perhaps, then, a true king's possessions shall find their way back home. Yes, that was it. Amongst these mongrels, there may also be a king.
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A/N: So yeah, it's a fic starring Gilgamesh, oh King of Heroes and all that. I'm posting this short little prologue just to give everybody a taste of what it's going to be like (generally) and to get a bit of feedback and interest. If you feel that my Gil and Kotomine are acting weirdly and out of character, or if something's confusing, then it's probably a good idea to mention it to me.
Also, this does follow one specific route of Fate/Stay night, though I won't say which one it is yet. Despite some divergences which become much bigger later on, you'll probably be able to tell which route it is come the next few chapters.