This... has probably been one of my best received snippets in this thread... ever. Of all time.
It is glorious.
This... has probably been one of my best received snippets in this thread... ever. Of all time.
It is glorious.
At first I was like:Originally Posted by Ars Poetica
Then it clicked and I was like:
I am now officially impressed.
End of an Empire
Quote
"Swear loyalty to me, Arturia Pendragon. Swear obedience unto me, the King of Heroes, and I shall give you the Holy Grail."
If Saber hadn’t already been injured beyond the ability to stand, she could have been knocked over with a feather. “Wh-What?!”
Archer frowned. “I took special care to leave your hearing intact. You know what I said. But perhaps the question you mean to ask is, ‘Why?”” The golden king peered closely at Saber. “Is that the question you meant to ask?”
Saber scowled at the leading question, but ultimately nodded.
“Then listen well. Everything in this world is mine. You, the Grail, absolutely everything.” Archer snapped her fingers, and a small bottle of wine appeared in her hand. She sipped from it. “You may not acknowledge this, but it remains true. And I am not opposed to rewarding my subjects for their service.” She pointed at Saber with Excalibur. “In your case, for swearing obedience and loyalty to me.”
Saber coughed. “We have discussed this before. No true king may bow their head to another.”
“Ah, but you wish for a more worthy king to take your place, do you not? When your wish is granted, you will no longer be king and your objection will be void. Would it really be so terrible to bend your knee to another king before, rather than after?”
That stunned Saber. It was true that should her wish be granted, she would cease to be king. Her duty would be discharged. Would it be so bad to submit to Archer, in exchange for what she desired?
Yes. Yes it would.
“I would pledge my allegiance to a better lord than myself,” Saber said coldly. “But you are not such a king.”
“I am the greatest king that ever lived.” The woman spoke with the confidence of one who truly believed her words. Arrogant though she was, Archer carried the weight of experience. “And no other king can grant what you seek, save myself. No other has the right, nor the ability to deliver. Rejoice, Saber! Your quest has finally come to an end!” Archer eyed Saber speculatively. “Or would you refuse the Holy Grail?”
Saber’s lips pressed together.
“You would!” Archer threw her head back and laughed,. “You would actually refuse the Grail, all because it is I that offers it to you! The prize you’ve fought and bled and killed for, and you’d refuse it simply because your pride will not allow you to so much as bow your head!”
“I will not betray my Master to fulfill my own wish!”
Archer smiled. “The best lies are those with the ring of truth, no?” She shook her head, swishing the contents of her bottle. “It doesn’t matter. I have another offer prepared.”
“I refuse!”
“No, no you won’t.” The smile widened. “My terms are this: I shall return Excalibur to you.”
That got Saber’s attention.
“I will also give you this.” The wine bottle in Gilgamesh’s hand vanished, and was replaced by a long necked jeweled bottle. “It is a potent potion that accelerates healing. You already have a healing factor. As we Servants and our armaments are little more than collections of prana, this will restore your strength as well.”
Archer leaned forward, eyes shining with excitement.
"I offer you this so that we may settle our dispute by combat. Having defeated you whilst you crawled away from that rabid dog was but a short-lived satisfaction. Fight me, in the way of the Holy Grail War. Overcome me and the Holy Grail shall be yours. Lose, however, and you are mine. I will grant you your wish, and you will give yourself to me. Blood, flesh and bone. Mind, will and soul. You will serve me and submit to my will.
“Tell me Saber….will you accept these terms? Will you wager your oath, so that you may challenge me with your full strength for the right to the Grail?”
It was tempting. Saber had to give Archer that much. Saber knew full well that she was at Archer’s mercy. The chance to claim the Grail was a strong allure though, and through an honorable trial by combat no less. The terms of Saber’s defeat were grievous indeed, but Saber was no coward. She’d risked life and limb, honor and pride in battle before. Arturia Pendragon did not choose her battles according to the consequences of defeat. She fought for victory, and achieved it justly. And she had already fought and sacrificed so much for the Grail. If she accepted defeat here and awaited another chance for the Grail, how many others dreams would be sunder in her quest?
No. Archer was right in one regard, her quest would end here, one way or another. With the potion Gilgamesh offered, Saber could heal her wounds. With the leftover magical energy from the potion, she could produce even more prana. For the first time in this war, Saber could fight at full power. For one battle, she had the potential to fight at her peak and claim her prize.
Besides...
She looked at Excalibur. The blade, brighter and sharper than any other, gleamed.
All she had to do was win.
“I would accept your terms,” Saber said slowly, pushing herself to her feet. “But I cannot accept a challenge from one who will not give me their name.”
Archer shook her head. “Tut, tut, Saber. You haven’t figured it out yet? Having borne witness to the glory of my arsenal, and tasted the finest of wines, you still have not guessed at my identity? Think back, Saber. Back, to the first of kings, the first of legends. Back to a time when the world was united under one kingdom. Of a King who amassed all the treasure of the world.”
Saber’s eyes widened.
“Hear me now, Servant Saber. I am Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, first amongst kings and heroes. From my treasury all Noble Phantasms were born. Under my banner, the world stood united. By my deeds, the gods themselves were forced to bend knee. I am the greatest of all Heroic Spirits.
“And I challenge you, Arturia Pendragon, to battle. For the Holy Grail, and your oath of loyalty.”
Saber stood still. She had known that Gilgamesh’s gender had likely been mistaken in her legend, but to lay claim to the oldest legend in history?
Suddenly, Gilgamesh’s numerous weapons were explained. These were no fakes, but the original models from which all Noble Phantasms were derived. The amount of power at Gilgamesh’s fingertips, even constrained by the energy of a mortal Master, eclipsed all other Servants.
But Arturia was not any other Servant. She was alive. She had defied time and space for this trophy, and she would not back down. She would fight.
The most revered of Servants stood to her full height. The blades digging in her flesh open fresh wounds, but she endured the pain and carried herself with pride. “Gilgamesh, King of Uruk,” she said resolutely. “I am Arturia Pendragon, Lord of the Britons and King of Knights. I accept your challenge and your terms.”
Archer threw her head back and laughed. “Splendid! I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist, but even inches from defeat you remain valorous.“ Gilgamesh snapped her fingers, and the swords impaled in Arturia vanished. Before Saber had a chance to sigh in relief from the pain, Gilgamesh had tossed the potion towards Arturia. “Drink deeply and be restored!”
The ornate bottle spun through the air. Arturia had no functional hands with which she could catch it though. Saber had consumed a great deal of her prana in her last charge against Gilgamesh, and she spent what little she had left forcing her severed tendons to heal. Her form wavered and faded, as if a ghost, but she remained solid. Her fingers flexed, and snatched the potion out of the air. She popped it open, and poured its contents down her throat.
As soon as the liquid passed her throat, she could feel its magic begin to do its work. It skipped digestion entirely, in favor or pouring raw energy into her veins. It surged in her blood, and knit her torn flesh. Her shoulder was popped back into its socket. Muscles throbbed with fresh strength, and the sudden influx of magical energy fueled the engine that was Saber’s soul to produce even more power. Her strength swelled until it peaked. This, this was more than merely being unharmed and without injury. For the first time since before the Battle of Camlenn, Saber possessed her full potential.
Saber held out her hand. “My sword.”
Archer obliged her and threw Excalibur at Saber hilt first. Saber’s fingers closed around it, and her world righted itself. She was wagering everything against the strongest Heroic Spirit the world had ever known, but she was powerful and the Sword of Promised Victory was in her hands, not Archer’s.
She considered charging Gilgamesh again and braving the rain of Noble Phantasms. Saber had a distinct advantage in that Gilgamesh would aim to capture, while Saber intended to kill. However, Servants could also survive nearly anything short of the destruction of their spiritual core. If Gilgamesh could bring her back from the brink of death once, she could do it again.
No, that plan was too dangerous. Saber needed to win, and she needed to survive her victory to wish upon the Grail. The most reliable path to victory laid in Excalibur.
Or rather, it would as soon as Gilgamesh was no longer standing in front of the Holy Grail. And judging from the smirk on Gilgamesh’s face, she knew that.
“Archer. Do you intend to protect yourself from my Noble Phantasm by standing between the Grail and myself?”
Archer chuckled. “Hardly. I just want to savor this moment, and the many delectable moments that shall follow.”
Saber returned Archer’s smirk with one of her own. “You are quite confident, for someone who has admitted that she has no sword that can match my own.”
“Your pride and faith in your sword blinds you to the truth, Saber. I said that I have no equal to Excalibur, and I did not lie.” Gilgamesh reached behind her and drew forth a cylindrical, drill shaped….thing. “I do, however, possess its superior!”
A chill ran down Saber's spine, and every hair on her body tried to crawl out of her skin.
The weapon could not be called a sword. No sword had ever looked like this.
The handle, thin and almost delicate-looking, even in the hands of the feminine Gilgamesh, was protected by several large, golden handguards that might have looked like flower petals, had the weapon not been so alien; so wrong.
The blade was not a blade. Instead, three cylinders lay end to end, tapering ever so slightly from hilt to end. The cylinders were pitch black- black enough that the blade did not reflect even a glimmer of the spotlights that lit the room. Dark red lines, moving in straight lines, intersecting and separating, almost reminiscent of circuitry, cut through the dark of the blade, the deep color almost reminiscent of some ancient, long-forgotten monster, drowsing, ready to be woken. The end of the blade was topped with a small golden design- a twisting, turning thing that ended abruptly.
The weapon was ancient, and alien; almost sentient in its sheer wrongness. It was like perceiving a new, impossible color. It was like hearing sounds that did not exist on this earth. If the world were a just and good place, it would be crushed out of existence on the spot. And Saber could see, feel, Reality rebel against its presence.
The weapon was winning. That was proof of its strength. Even if Saber had not been seized by the urge to run, to get away to save her life, the mere fact that such a weapon could exist frightened her on primal level.
But fear was no shame. The truly strong did not deny their fear, but mastered it. Saber was better than her base instincts and would not disgrace herself or her weapon with a retreat.
“This,” Archer said lovingly, “Is Ea.” The dim red lines brightened, ever so slightly, as if in response to Archer's caresses. “The greatest of my treasures, fit to be used against only the most worthy of opponents. It belongs to me, and no other.”
Credit where it was due: that Gilgamesh could stand to hold it all, let alone so comfortably, was either proof of nigh-indomitable nerve or unmitigated psychosis. Possibly both. If Gilgamesh hadn’t been keeping herself between the Excalibur and the Grail, Saber probably would have invoked her Noble Phantasm on the spot to kill her, chivalry be damned. It hurt to admit that. Not as much as stabbing Lancelot, but it was a close second to find out that she prized her honor less than the Grail.
It was for her kingdom, she told herself. Forever and always for the people she’d sworn to protect. That they would never know how far she had fallen comforted her not at all.
When she spoke at last, not ounce of doubt could be heard. “Enough talk, Archer. I am prepared. Are you?”
Archer smiled. “In a moment. Ea,” she whispered, the word itself almost a caress. The red lines upon its surface brightened. The ancient monster's eyes opened, slowly rising from its doze.
"Awaken."
Dim red gave way to a crimson glow. The cylinders began to turn, and Saber quickly discovered that Ea’s natural presence and had absolutely nothing on Ea preparing to attack. Reality itself strained and groaned. Just keeping her eyes focused on Gilgamesh and the sword required a conscious effort of will, lest her eyes avert themselves out of self-preservation.
A manic grin threatened to split Gilgamesh’s face in twain as Ea churned faster and faster, devouring the air around them like a whirlpool. “Prepare yourself, Saber! Bring to bear the prayers of mankind, all of your strength and conviction, everything you have! Fight me at the peak of your power, and watch it be shattered against the strength of the King of Heroes!”
“Archer….” She tightened her grip on Excalibur. Her weapon, at least, required no such unwieldy preparation. “You talk too much. No more delays. Now, we fight!”
Gilgamesh stepped to the left.” Yes,” she said eagerly. “Yes we shall.” Another step.
Saber carefully tracked Gilgamesh’s movement, waiting for the moment that Gilgamesh distanced herself from the Grail enough that Saber could safely attack. But something else caught her eye.
Kiritsugu.
Saber kept a façade of resolve, but inside she exulted in her good fortune. Her Master still had two Command Seals. Saber was at her full strength. With just one Command Seal empowering her, she was certain that she could overcome Ea. Gilgamesh was fighting to capture Saber. She would not risk killing her, or damaging Saber beyond the golden king’s ability to repair.
Saber just had to kill Gilgamesh. And with Kiritsugu’s aid, she was certain that she would. She would use any methods he commanded. Anything was acceptable, as long as she could obtain her wish. She could feel the Command Seal being invoked, and Emiya Kiritsugu’s voice resounded in her head like the word of a god.
Use your Noble Phantasm to destroy the Holy Grail.
What?
Her hesitation cost her. Excalibur flared to life and she raised it above her head.
NO!
This could not be happening. This could not be! To be betrayed by her Master, who had sacrificed so much for the Grail?
“Are you mad, Saber?!” Gilgamesh had not even fully passed the Grail, and was in danger of being annihilated alongside it. “No….what trash dares to command that which is mine?!”
Gilgamesh’s eyes wildly darted around, and locked with Kiritsugu’s. But it was too late.
I command once more: destroy the Holy Grail.
A howl of outrage tore itself from Saber’s throat as Excalibur was fully invoked. The Sword of Promised Victory unleashed destruction upon Saber’s mortal enemy and treasured prize without discrimination.
Gilgamesh, however, was neither defenseless nor stupid, and had prepared accordingly.
“ENUMA ELISH!”
Ea roared, and a power eclipsing even that of Excalibur roared forth, like a freight train tearing apart the air before it. The golden light, powerful enough to cleave mountains, and scorch the earth down to the bedrock, was swallowed by a great void, which continued, muted by the great mass of power, and tore apart the very world around Saber. The Servant of the Sword was not killed, but deeply wounded. Excalibur’s attack had been averted.
But not entirely.
Ea had not been able to swallow Excalibur fully. Powerful though it may be, Excalibur had been faster. Ea had been swift enough to protect its master, but Archer had not been standing entirely in front of the Holy Grail.
The ultimate goal of the Holy Grail War was destroyed.
Saber could only watch in horror and despair from her place on the floor. She would have laughed bitterly, but her throat failed her. Once more she was defeated at the hands of Archer, and now without even a hope of claiming what she desired. It had all been for nothing. All futile.
Gilgamesh's fury was almost enough to chill the very air around her. Her mind was torn between ensuring that the wretch of a Master named Emiya Kiritsugu suffered horribly for destroying one of her treasures, ensuring Saber would live longer than a minute, and something much more pressing. A black hole – or perhaps a sun- hovered above where the Holy Grail once stood, with black mud dripping forth.
“What….is this?”
Saber raised her face to the sky, and her eyes widened.
Neither Servant had a further chance to reaction before a deluge of mud flooded the music hall, swallowing them both whole.
Many, many kudos to eddyak for helping me finish this piece. A fair number of paragraphs in the second half are courtesy of him, or inspired by him, and he helped me finally finish this snippet. Took longer than it, but it's done. For now. Thanks eddyak!
Last edited by Hymn of Ragnarok; August 20th, 2012 at 10:37 PM.
That's all, folks!
Ah, unexpected for Saber to get Grail Mud'd as well.
That's going to be interesting...if the continuity sticks around.
F/GO SUPPORT
Oh. Oh YES.
You somehow took something that was amazingly epic when you first sent it to me and made it even more epic. And oh, jeez, now things have gone and been royally fucked up. This can only end in pain for Saber and Gilgamesh.
...
But mostly Saber. Because being Saber is suffering.
Beamu, that .gif. THAT .GIF.
NOSTALGIA. Wonderful nostalgia.~
F/GO SUPPORT
OK - this part wasn't so bad. Kind of cool, actually. She was willing to deal with Saber on fair terms, and I respect that.
. . . Of course, having an inkling (pun intended) of what will probably come next, it doesn't mean I'm not afraid.
“Love will be cruel to who it entices — love will have its sacrifices.”
— Carmilla Theme
"Evil isn't the real threat to the world. Stupid is just as destructive as Evil, maybe more so, and it's a hell of a lot more common. What we really need is a crusade against Stupid. That might actually make a difference."
―Jim Butcher, Vignette
It is very wise to be afraid.
Dear god, this cannot end we- Actually no I take that back. This can end well, but only after much suffering and pain. Much Suffering and Pain.
Life at best is Bittersweet
-Jack Kirby
...
Okay, in order:
Makes perfect sense that Gil would try to make this sporting.
Ea being full of cosmic horror helped make my night.
... BOTH of them?
That's new.
Spoiler:Spoiler:
My Work:
Heroes of Justice
Semi-Random Pieces and Drabbles
Diaries of a Youthful Maiden
??? - new project, coming soon (by Valve time)
Separate continuity from the beach snippets and Enkidu snippets. This will develop on its own.
Which means much, much less light hearted. Gilgamesh was downright mellow with Shirou, in comparison, and walking on air with Enkidu around. This is meant to show Gilgamesh's darker sides.
*does a victory dance*
You know it. She's practically a tragic heroine. Certainly before she met Shirou. I plan to cash in on that.And oh, jeez, now things have gone and been royally fucked up. This can only end in pain for Saber and Gilgamesh.
...
But mostly Saber. Because being Saber is suffering.
And Gilgamesh being a first class bitch when it suits her.
Saved!
Yes, this was very fair of Gilgamesh. Because she wanted Saber to give her word of obedience.
Also, Gilgamesh expected to be completely victorious from the start. It's bad habit of all versions of Gilgamesh, but don't pretend that Gilgamesh thought this was a fair contest of arms. It's fair in the sense that Saber was at her peak, very unfair in the sense that Gilgamesh was stacking the deck. Notice that she loitered in front of the Grail for quite a while.
Sadly, she didn't count on some unimportant peon fucking everything up.
. . . Of course, having an inkling (pun intended) of what will probably come next, it doesn't mean I'm not afraid.This woman is wise indeed.
This man is also wise.
That's all, folks!
I expected something epic.
But you delivered glorious beyond my expectations! MY GOD, yes. Just YES. And the best part is, this is not yet finished!
Also. Beamu. Dat gif. Amazing. I am forced to agree with Lyco.
Glad to please!
Yeah, Gilgamesh was being sporting.....but she also wasn't playing completely fair. See above in my response to Kieran.
And I struggled with Ea for a while before giving in to my desire to write it as a sanity warping abomination. I was going to write it as giving everyone who looked at it synthasia, making them trip balls because it's just that alien....but I relented and dialed it back some.
I'm happy with how Ea turned out. With significant aid from eddyak in writing Ea porn.
- - - Updated - - -
Oh yes. I think I did a pretty good job here, but it's gonna get better. I'm looking forward to this.
That's all, folks!
I wonder what Gilgamesh will feel once she realizes that her "treasure" had been tainted for quite some time?
And Saber Alter what will happen to her?
Not much different from from canon, really. The whole point of this snippet is to show that, yes, Fem!Gilgamesh really does share a number of similarities with her canon version. And Male!Gilgamesh was not a nice person when aggravated.
Gilgamesh is furious.
Hey, who says Saber Alter is showing up?And Saber Alter what will happen to her?
...
Ah, who am I kidding.
That's all, folks!
Was pretty obvious.
In the most awesome way possible.
I'm guessing that Gilgamesh (this gilgamesh) is not going to take Kiritsugu's interference in her little 'duel' very well.
Is the Magus Killer going to find a Noble Phantasm shoved through his chest before he can search through the fire? I mean, maybe it's just me, but I don't think Female Gilgamesh is going to take that insult as well as Male Gilgamesh did.
Life at best is Bittersweet
-Jack Kirby
Which would then beg the question: with Kerry dead, what about Shirou? :3
Yay, an update.
Though the lack of Shirou makes me question why I love it so much.
Convenient Spoilering Is Convenient
I've got a published book!
Please go and give it a read!
http://www.jukepopserials.com/home/read/767
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