Kishinami Hakuno (岸波 白野) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sealeted) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
felldenlogs2019-11-09 03:52 pm
sealeted) wrote in felldenlogs2019-11-09 03:52 pm
Entry tags:
[Closed/Quest] fairy tales sometimes come true
WHO: Hakuno Kishinami and Gilgamesh
WHAT: A Quest to track down a lost jewel as a gift for the High Court of the Fae
WHERE: Fidei Forest, deep into the southern-most marshlands
WHEN: Early November
WARNINGS: N/A, so far.
[Between the Famine, the monsters, everything all at once, things had... become jumbled. Hectic. Hakuno has to read the letter on her desk twice before she consciously understands what's being written—and who, exactly, is writing it. The name 'Loras' is unfamiliar to her, the penmanship is flowing and exquisite, the ink catches the light a little differently each time she looks at it, but it's the title floridly added at the end of it all that fully arrests her attention.
She folds it up neatly, and taps it against one palm, leaning back in her seat until she can look upside-down at her Servant where he's lounging nearby.]
Gilgamesh.
[She pauses, considering her words for a moment. How to pitch this best?
...the answer is self-evident, really.]
...do you want to go on an adventure with me?
WHAT: A Quest to track down a lost jewel as a gift for the High Court of the Fae
WHERE: Fidei Forest, deep into the southern-most marshlands
WHEN: Early November
WARNINGS: N/A, so far.
[Between the Famine, the monsters, everything all at once, things had... become jumbled. Hectic. Hakuno has to read the letter on her desk twice before she consciously understands what's being written—and who, exactly, is writing it. The name 'Loras' is unfamiliar to her, the penmanship is flowing and exquisite, the ink catches the light a little differently each time she looks at it, but it's the title floridly added at the end of it all that fully arrests her attention.
She folds it up neatly, and taps it against one palm, leaning back in her seat until she can look upside-down at her Servant where he's lounging nearby.]
Gilgamesh.
[She pauses, considering her words for a moment. How to pitch this best?
...the answer is self-evident, really.]
...do you want to go on an adventure with me?
total word count: 8,462 words
no subject
Naturally, at Hakuno's words, he turns his attention to her, alert and attentive. Never let it be said that his Master lacks for catnip. ]
-- oh? An adventure? [ the enthusiastic undercurrent in his tone tells her all she will need to know. still, Gilgamesh eyes that letter with unconcealed curiosity. ] It is not another invitation to dinner, is it, mongrel? I do not have a poison-testing Noble Phantasm to save you now, should matters take a similar turn to your last such "adventure."
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[Her eyes drift to the fruit in his hands, and her thoughts turn to half the warnings she read about, in the books about the Fae here and back before. Her tone turns firm.]
...actually, if you come with me, it's probably best not to eat anything there. Just in case.
[That's how you get spirited away. Not that she thinks Gilgamesh would dislike a hedonistically beautiful court, but being chained to anything like that would chafe.]
I have been requested to help find a certain ancient treasure for the King and Queen of the Fae. You interested?
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[ but she knew to expect that answer, yes? ]
Besides, you cannot survive any arduous journey without me. [ he sets his task, and the fruit, aside. ] That said, do you mean to say that we would be laboring to collect treasure for another?
[ aaaand she can hear the obvious note of disdain there. not that he is going to reject a chance for An Adventure, but really, treasure rightfully belongs in his vault. ]
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In many ways, being the Master of the King of Heroes is as difficult as it is easy.]
I don't have many details yet. I need to meet with their attendant and let him know I accept, to know more.
[Presumably so she or someone who may have intercepted the letter wouldn't hare off and steal said treasure for their own gain.
Purely hypothetically, of course.]
It might be something specifically warded against the Fae, or something to prepare for the coming Goddesses, or something else entirely. But I want to go, either way. So...?
[She wiggles the letter invitingly, like a beloved toy feather before a seemingly disinterested cat.]
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[ was that surprisingly agreeable of him?
still, Gilgamesh's words are not as enthusiastic as the proposition of an adventure might otherwise make him, or rather the enthusiasm is tempered by a certain hard edge; he does not know these Fae and he has no inherent reason to suppose them to be creatures of good will, not when so much else in this world brims with ever-increasing mystery and danger, not when they are, never let it be forgotten, in the midst of a war. the lack of details does not please him, but he is not so close-minded that he would reject such a premise outright. whoever these Fae are, if they know his fragile Master who is oblivious to danger, they may in all probability know something of him as well. ]
After all, it is unbearably dull here. [ disconcertingly quiet.
he pushes himself up and stands, approaching her in no apparent hurry, arms folded, eyes glancing in the direction of the letter she holds. ]
That said, these fools must be spoken to on their rudeness in not extending dual invitations. I am not merely a sword arm, nor a tool for power. I am a hero, the first of them all!
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[She tucks the letter away and stands herself, beginning to pack what she might need for such a trip.
The letter had been short and prettily written; Gilgamesh hadn't been named, exactly, but you and your most trusted had a very definite connotation, when it came to Hakuno. Gilgamesh has the seeds of a legend growing, however, and where Hakuno has only sought knowledge before, it makes sense she'd ask for his help for any treasure-related tasks.]
I'm their 'friend,' or so I'm called these days. It's no imposition, if they ask me for a favor.
[She steps back, bag full, and... hesitates.
A moment later, her compass is shut away in their jewelry box instead.]
Also, please, please don't call the King and Queen fools if we happen to meet them today. If nothing else, please not that.
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I shall judge their characters myself when the time comes.
[ it is not exactly a promise of good behavior, but he does not necessarily insist on bad behavior, at least? Gilgamesh may be a king of a notoriously unruly temper, but there are certainly ways to appease him. if the treasure is satisfactory, he will not complain (much, at least). rather, he is more uncertain of the character of these Fae and of Hakuno's immediate, uncomplicated good will. ]
A "friend," is it? Do not forget that we are in a war and that you must exercise caution.
[ after seeing their faction leader after all, that much should be self-explanatory. still, Gilgamesh does seem to relax a little as he falls into step with her. an adventure is rather like old times. ]
Heh. Now, before we leave, Hakuno, I grant you permission to tell me if there is anything else you will need for this journey which you are unable to carry. [ after all... ] Remember, the capacity of my vault is no longer the limits of infinity. As such, even I may sometimes need to prepare for contingencies according to the number of available vacanies in my treasury.
[ otherwise, you know, he, unlike her, does not need to pack so simply. the king of bling can access weapons, defenses, and food whenever he likes. ]
no subject
[Namely, that they generally had a habit of ending at her hands. She heaves up the bag, thinking as they move along.]
Don't worry, I'm being careful. ...why don't you leave your compass here. Just in case. Better to have more room, than less.
[That's... not how it works, and he knows she knows that. Her tone is light but her gaze is pointed. They have some things she's avoided talking about with him, by dint of not quite trusting their conversations to be wholly private here, in the shadow of the Temple itself. She decides, just in case, to save the heavy chat for the trip back; if it puts him in a foul mood, he'll be less likely to take out his irritation on the Fae, by many accounts a race of beings as ancient and grudging as him, when slighted.
She keeps their conversation light, en route. She makes sure to mention that there's more to discuss later, but he's the one who tells her to get her head in the game, more often than not. She's not going to distract them now.
As Fidei grows closer and closer, little fae sprites appear at the front of the forest to guide them deeper. At the end of their whispery, giggling path, a notably larger fae awaits them.]
Loras, attendant to the High King and Queen, I presume.
"You presume correctly. Welcome, Friend of the Fae and King Gilgamesh. Your quick response is a bright omen for the task at hand."
[Loras dips into a nimble bow, and Hakuno apes it as best she can.]
Your letter didn't... say much, on that 'task'. What exactly is it?
"But of course. It is a sensitive matter, so I wished not to burden you unduly, should your time be sunk elsewhere."
How kind.
[Truly. Hakuno's faint smile doesn't twitch, but she doesn't take him at face value, either.
Loras doesn't bat an eyelash.]
"My lord and lady, today I seek your help in recovering a very important jeweled artifact—the Flame of Aegis, lost centuries past."
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[ That is Gilgamesh's manner of asking for more information, but it is also his way of tasting the name, as he enjoys doing when contemplating the recovery of all treasures within this or any world; one might say that the King of Heroes speaks the names of treasures with a reverence which is entirely absent from how he addresses almost any person, and entirely without irony or malice. Naturally, he appreciates the sound and feel of this name; it has a certain strength to it, one which he immediately appreciates. The proximity to such excitement puts Gilgamesh in a better mood overall... though he might be trying to restrain himself, if slightly, for Hakuno's sake. Otherwise, he might well be inclined to more thoroughly scrutinize this Loras. Still, there may be just a tinge of sharpness in his tone as he asks -- ]
And you would not have us lay hold of this treasure for ourselves?
[ the King, needless to say, is not in the habit of running errands for others... this is, after all, a man who already believes that all treasures worth having in this or any world should already be his belongings, within his vault. to hunt treasure for another -- it does promise excitement, but it is not to Gilgamesh's exact preference, to say the least.
he stands beside Hakuno, characteristically distant and somewhat suspicious, if with the same folded-armed, contemplative, closely-examining look she will remember from their journeys together in the Moon Cell.
Loras closes his eyes and shakes his head -- contrition, it would seem, or at least the appearance thereof. ]
"Though we wish to pay you all due honor for assisting us and your names shall be held as the heroes of our people, this treasure must be presented to the High King and Queen. The Flame of the Aegis is a long lost relic of our people, one which we would see returned to its rightful place in our posession."
no subject
[Hakuno herself remains unreadable. Her voice is soft, and so are the words she chooses... more or less.]
Well, that's understandable. What I don't quite understand is... well, the timing. Why now? And why us, rather than an actual member of your court?
[It is immediately apparent that she has sunk her teeth into the meat of the matter. Loras doesn't do something so unseemly or inelegant as wince or backpedal, however; there's a measured pause, as he weighs what he would like to say versus what they would ask of him in turn, and delivers it as sparingly—and eloquently—as he can manage.]
"I shall rely on our friend's discretion in this matter, but our people have been blessed, as of late. The King and Queen are expecting a child."
[Hakuno, for the first time, breaks character. No—more than that, she lights up, beaming and redoubling her focus in one bright swoop.]
A baby? That's wonderful! Is the Flame some sort of protective charm, then? Oh, or maybe an heirloom from one of their ancestors?
[Loras blinks, taken aback by that sudden shift in energy, and partakes in another brief, measured pause.]
"The Flame of the Aegis can be placed into a great many things - a blade, a crown, even sewn into fabric - and will give its wearer untold abilities. But as it once was, it was a family jewel carried in the shield of a fae soldier who died many, many moons ago. The crest upon the shield had a flame within it, but the jewel also finds its name from its vibrant red color, as the legends go. It provided strength to the bearer of the shield and protected them in times of need, bolstering their magic. It is said that the last bearer, Erilith of the Dawn, once held firm upon a single bridge into the fae lands and held off countless foes before eventually succumbing to mortal wounds. The shield and the jewel were both lost, then."
[Hakuno calms slightly, drinking that information in. There's a lot more she would like to ask, just on the subject of Fae history alone, but she restrains herself.]
Which is... no, I'm afraid I still don't know why you need our help, specifically.
[Another pause from the courtier, though this one is the briefest yet.]
"The Flame of the Aegis was been lost in what are now the marshlands, and by all reports is guarded by a terrible creature."
...ah. Yeah, that'd do it.
no subject
with all preamble out of the way, they eventually find themselves treading side by side through the forest and towards the marshlands. ]
A terrible creature guards this treasure, they say?
[ yes, that is Gil scoffing. no part of this is surprising, is it? ]
Let us hope that is correct. Otherwise, these forest settings become dull! There is only so much birdsong a man can listen to before his heart sickens from the vile and monotonous quietness.
[ ahead, he can already see where the trees show signs of thinning out and giving way. still a small distance away now, but that must be it -- the opening into the wide marshlands.
he looks at his companion almost conspiratorially and murmurs -- ]
Heh. Did you not think it was a little strange? Gifting an infant with something known to give its wearer "untold abilities"? Just what are these Fae preparing this child for? To believe a priceless power source of this would be merely a baby's bauble -- that Loras must think we are fools, just as he is if he thinks I shall not ask for remuneration for my efforts when the time comes.
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[You can't baby-proof the whole world, or so they say. She turns the thought over in her head, carefully, as they eat up the distance between them and the marshlands. You can't baby-proof the whole world, but you might just be able to world-proof the baby. Or the room, or the castle, or maybe even the entire settlement the baby happens to be in, depending on just how untold those powers may be.
Her smile is small, and wry, and private—all for him, even if there were more than just birds flitting around.]
...I thought it would be something you'd enjoy. And maybe a good idea to do a good turn for them, this time. Just—
[She pauses, eyes sliding away to focus on the fast-approaching edge.]
Just in case things keep getting... tense, back at the Temple.
[It's quiet, now. The birds are behind them.]
...I'm sorry she twisted it, Gilgamesh.
[She knows what sort of clash he must have been salivating over. He spoke of Neria's influence, though, her clout, and that had muddied the waters. Clouded his vision of great and awe-inspiring combat until the Priestess demanded it be carried out post-haste. Before his claimed rival could get any stronger, which...
Well.
She knows her Servant. It's surely as disappointing to him as it is alarming to her, to have things take such a sudden turn.]
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Hm? [ he laughs, ambivalently, his pace slowing a little. ] It would seem as though you are paying attention to matters within this faction.
[ his eyes are suddenly rather alight with curiosity; she is just full of opinions, isn't she? it is not surprising, not necessarily, but it is the first time they have spoken of this. ]
Does her true nature surprise you?
[ the question is asked with an implicit tone of: "It should not..."
Gilgamesh's words and the tone he takes are careful, measured, almost formal. but he is not closing the conversation off, nor immediately shutting down this turn of discussion. there is at least tentative space for her to continue to voice her thoughts to him, a quiet sort of intimacy as they are on this path together. yet, for now, he refrains from saying more on the topic she has raised. ]
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[She was, after all, made to be an existence that faded to the background.
It wasn't where she stayed, of course, but it's a natural skill she's been making use of, as she slowly drinks in tidbits and revelations as they come. Her true interest lies in this world, in its wonders and cities and people, but the need to gather information and survive is something so central to her it permeates every beat of her heart. A world or more away, a too-brief lifetime behind her, the Moon Cell still has its maker's mark upon her.]
...surprise is too sharp a word for it. She's been leading a war on one side for years and years—neither of us thought for a second she lacked teeth and claws, and you know it. I was just... a little taken aback by the sudden desire to flash them, then and there.
[Temperance had shortened her temper. The mere idea of Death's partiality had seen to the rest. The Warlock's own alarm at his neutrality possibly being called into question had underscored the apparent severity of being the focus of the Gods' and Goddesses' attentions, here.
She thinks of BB, fleetingly. BB and her Alter Egos and their mishmash of stolen divine powers, of the purposes they put all of that to, and she thinks she can almost understand it.
Almost.]
It's also really, really petty, but I don't like you getting ordered around like that.
[Like a servant, instead of her Servant. Logically, the Priestess has fed and clothed and housed them, has given him a quest before, and more or less is convinced of their place in her Faction. Logically, it makes sense for somebody of her position and power to order, rather than ask.
But the Command Seals on the back of Hakuno's hand prickle fiercely at the thought, like a beast raising its hackles. The Priestess has been good to them, and given them blessings and a safe place to learn and rest. But she never traded her very right to exist for the right to be by the King of Heroes' side, and so the order chafes all the same.]
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back facing her, he continues -- ]
Obviously, I am not one to take orders from another. As King of all I survey, it is an unseemly insult.
[ he does not spit the words or put his usual acerbic venom into them. a little more under his breath, almost contemplative; it is the closest Gilgamesh will get to acknowledging that something is a cause of any sort of displeasure besides anger or irritation, more apparent when he continues -- ]
Hm... it would seem as though it may be best to consider certain matters. To resist against one who supplies our necessities, that is no easy task, even for one of my might. [ and there is the matter of his vault being diminished. ] Yet to accept servitude, that is nothing I will stand for.
[ suffice it to say, the matter is being Considered. ]
But for the present, do not concern yourself further. It is as I told you: in Uruk, when a man or woman stood before me, I saw them as one who was dead or one who would die.
Human beings disappear. The outcome may not have been as I desired, but that Neria is no different. Her fate was already decided from the moment of origin. Avert your gaze when the time comes and do not follow.
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[It had cost Gilgamesh a great deal, to keep Hakuno alive. She is alway, always cognizant of that fact, but she's also aware that so far, the Priestess hasn't threatened them. Not to the extent that she'd consider outright rebellion a viable course of action, though Hakuno has, admittedly, harbored thoughts of doing what she can to spare Temperance from a twisted revival.
For her friend's sake, if nothing else.]
...I won't get in your way, Gilgamesh.
[Her aid in the matter is neither asked for, nor offered; it's one of those things that doesn't have to be said, between them. He is her avowed sword, but never her tool, and the fights he chooses become his own in that same instant.]
Do you—whoa!
[Whatever she was going to ask cuts into an alarmed shriek, followed in short order by the flare of a Code Cast—
shock();
—after which the vine that had latched onto her leg is blasted back and left twitching against the muck, paralyzed for the moment.]
Gilgamesh! We're not alone out here.
no subject
as soon as Hakuno utters that sound, Gilgamesh turns, glancing back at her. ]
Oh? So the ground attacks, does it? What an uninteresting adversary...
[ it is somewhat disappointing, all told. one would hope that there will be more sentient foes along the path so that he could impress them with his majesty. easily, Gilgamesh drops a sword from his vault into his waiting hand, taking hold of the hilt and slicing through the offending vines, closing the distance between them and sliding beside Hakuno.
yet, as if in reaction to his dismissal, the ground proves to be distinctly treacherous, and though he cuts through the vines, more -- annoyingly -- arise with each second, until he has simply had enough of this nonsense. ignoring Hakuno's somewhat irksome agitation (fortunate indeed that they have traveled together prior to this and thus he knows her mileage in these matters), he hoists her up, encouraging her to adjust herself by sitting in the crook of his arm or on his back as necessary -- really, with his strength and her lightness, either is no challenge for him. in fact, Gilgamesh appears to be barely paying attention, more preoccupied with looking to cut a path through these vines and get to the source of this attack: in his line of sight, it is there, a place deep within these marshes, the heart of this sudden antagonism, and perhaps the heart of this legendary jewel, this Flame. ]
Decide as you will how best to travel, Master. [ on his arm or shoulders, in other words. ] I am through wasting time. We must hurry along to the destination: I see it now, in the distance. Quickly! Let us make haste...
[ in other words... he has just the Noble Phantasms for for this particular rush, and it is time to make good use of them. ]
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Or at least, putting a more concerted effort into thwarting this sudden arboreal annoyance.]
Got it. I'll leave it to you.
[She settles in the crook of his arm, picking a precarious sense of balance rather than the tension of having her open back to an enemy. Gilgamesh wouldn't let her fall, be it in battle or by tipping over, but the instinct is a difficult beast to tame.
Besides, it's... better, being at his side.
It also affords her a solid vantage point as he cuts down vine after vine and rises up, free of the muck, and jolts forward. Strange, ghostly creatures twist closer, but they too wilt back as surely as the vines do from her Servant's merciless onslaught against all that stand in their way—be it sudden swamp creatures or monsters of a more mysterious breed. It almost makes her nostalgic for the time they spent tromping around the Labyrinth, but she brushes away those thoughts before they can linger long.
There are plenty of ghosts trying to drag them down without her adding any of her own to the mix.]
...do you... hear something?
[As the ground and the severed vines zip past below, spirits grasping futile at golden ankles, something grows louder and louder. A rasping, aching noise. A stuttering, sad sort of cacophony.]
Is somebody... crying?
[No, not somebody.
As they hit a clearing and the attacks abruptly halt, Hakuno comes to the baffling realization that the large, gnarled tree in the center of it is weeping. Breathlessly and endlessly, with heart-tugging misery in each impossible heaving sob.]
Um... hello? Who are you?
[The crying tapers off, but the voice that emerges in its place is still thick with grief.]
"I... I am... I don't recall. What's the use of a name, without my Erilith to call it?"
Your Erilith? So—you were a fae, then. Is this where he...?
"He fell. My darling, my dawn—they came to kill me and he fought to the last! He fought and he fell and I... Oh, I wrapped him in my arms and stayed with him 'til my own last breath."
[The sobs bubble forth anew.]
"I loved him! I loved and I loved and I loved him, and that love let me stay by him, long after my flesh withered. My magic and our heart have kept us together, long after all those who took him from me have withered away!"
Your... wait, are you the one who's been attacking us?!
[The crying pauses. The tree sounds a bit sulky, when it net speaks up.]
"W-Well, it's... it's not as though I have eyes anymore, you know! How was I to know you were not court fae come to try to chop us down again?"
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though his gaze, unreadable, lingers briefly on the tree, Gilgamesh turns to Hakuno after he has heard it speak -- ]
So once again we reach another who has given their body, even their sanity, in the cause and name of love.
[ it must be admitted: after the Moon Cell, this is a rather nostalgic sight. those Alter Egos, or that Alice and her Servant; there is something rather piteous about these figures, or there would be, were Gilgamesh the kind of man to bestow pity. ]
Was this tree a maiden once? She would be rather to my liking -- living only for love, dreaming of a continuance of love far beyond that which is possible, now, she suffers blindly in the ravages of that dream.
Behold her tears and sighs: is there not still a certain beauty in such foolish dedication, such hollow yearning, such fruitless exertion in the name of her ideal? I shall taste of these hardships.
[ for a moment, he revels in the sight, rather like a connoisseur. but why would the King not do so? such ugliness, such beauty, such loss! perhaps it is not the fearsome creature he desired to battle; nonetheless, this tragedy before him speaks to the apex of human longing and its transformative power, its exquisite extremes. ]
That this woman would go so far, to become a tree with no eyes to see, no limbs with which to hold, no body to be embraced, and only to sigh in darkness for eternity -- is this not an exceptional act? Ahaha, if only goddesses held such purity in their devotion.
Yet, in all such striving, there must naturally be the final taste of futility. [ gradually, his attention turns to the tree. ] Listen, you wraith: you have bypassed the limits of nature and reason. To desire to hold onto your love forever, of course that is your maiden heart.
But give up. Loss is the inevitable consequence of life.
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[Wait, no—no, that way lies one of their usual tangents, so she forcibly redirects her thought before the debate can begin in earnest. Ambiguous gender aside, Gilgamesh isn't wrong. As usual. The twisted, desperate devotion in this being, years and years and lifetimes later, hits an all too familiar note. Hakuno has seen it more than once, and no amount of time in Fellden has been enough to put those memories to bed. It's entirely to Gilgamesh's tastes, too, though this certainly wasn't how she had hoped to cater to them at the start of this venture.
But, as is her way, she still hopes they're both wrong.
She shoots Gilgamesh a look that says they're putting a pin in this topic for the moment, and turns to the tree, which has fallen to confused mumbling to itself.]
Excuse me? Tree? Why... um, there's no polite way to say this, really. Why did you stay, if parting from your husband was that unbearable?
[The tree, if possible, seems even more confused.]
"What do you mean? As I wasted away, what was left of me became this tree, yes, but even then I still held the remains of my love. The jewel itself became a part of us, bound us, made us whole. It kept us together."
...
[Hakuno closes her eyes, that weak, rebellious hope-against-hope snuffed out in a handful of increasingly unsteady sentences. She tries, very hard, to separate this from the looming Temperance issue. From her conversation with the Warlock, and the ending to it that still stings, where she's carefully tucked the memory of it away. From BB, and Kiara, and every person that dreamed of a continuance of love far beyond that which is possible, lingering on only in her and Gilgamesh's memories.
She takes a slow breath in, and holds it until she can't. Until it hurts.
She exhales, sounding steadier than the clenching in her gut would imply is true.
She opens her eyes, and they are dark, and still, and tired. But the resolve finishes setting, and she slowly shakes her head. the tree can't see it, of course, which is why she has to keep speaking.]
...you aren't, though. Definitively, I'd go so far as to say. He was given over to Death's domain before you ever put down roots.
[If he wasn't, then he would've been imprinted on the gem first, Hakuno thinks, and this would be a much, much happier tree.]
"N... no, but...? No. We're... we're together. I know we must be. I stayed and held on so... so we could be together!"
[Hakuno doesn't need Kiara's Code Cast to cut to the proverbial heart of this. There's a single question that has been brimming on her lips since they first saw the true form of their quarry.]
If he's really with you... then why are you crying?
[The tree falls silent.]
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he does not hold empathy, because empathy would require seeing himself as something less than a unique existence. still, even the King of Heroes has known loss, once. what makes him the true hero of legend is that he never allows this to impede him; he never once dreamed of wishing to revive a certain soul upon that Grail. time cannot be reversed, and if he should see his friend again, it will be due to the whims of the Throne of Heroes, in a future even he cannot foresee. but that is nothing he would speak of, here or elsewhere.
he shakes his head, and with a commanding tone, a note of finality, he says: ]
Nameless shadow, relinquish yourself. Your Erilith is no more. Be free of your sorrows, and go to join him properly. [ and... maybe a bit pitilessly, but not sharply, he adds: ] You were too weak-willed to continue after the one you cared for died. Therefore, it was destiny that you would fall by our hands.
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Once, somebody loved Hakuno enough to try and steal her away to a miniature garden of nominal safety and false happiness, even if it doomed everyone else on Earth, and that has left a mark upon her she can't imagine will ever quite fade.
But it's one of those things that Hakuno can look at, can comprehend with her head, but cannot, could never accept. At her core, there is a single, driving tenet: to survive, to live as she wishes, she can never, ever stop moving forward. The thought of being broken on the wheel of a love gone wrong chills her to her core, and something in her aches long and hard at seeing this poor creature brought so low.
At Gilgamesh's unswervingly open sentencing, she wants to close her eyes again.
She doesn't.]
...It's... It's been a long time. I think, on the other side, he's probably weeping too. And almost certainly waiting for you, if he loved you as much as you loved him.
[Cornered, pinned, torn open by these strangers, the tree begins weeping again. This time, there's no hysteric wailing, only a soft, palpable misery and despair, the kind that seeps into the bones. The kind that makes Hakuno's own throat go taut, eyes prickling at so much open, naked grief.
Eventually, speech trickles out through the weeping.]
"I... can't. I can't. It's too deep—it's too strong—it's our... it is my very heart, now. I cannot carve it from myself. It will not let me wither."
...I see. I'm... I'm sorry.
[Don't cry, Hakuno tells herself sternly. Don't you dare cry now.
Aloud, softly, kindly, she says the one and only thing she needs to, at this point.]
...Gilgamesh.
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at this time, the King does not answer Hakuno. not directly. he speaks instead to this ghost of a lover within the deepest region of the marsh. ]
Listen well, you spirit. At this time, I shall not fault your devotion.
[ the hilt of a sword protrudes from a sudden light beside Gilgamesh; he takes hold of it, sliding out the blade from his previous quest, that one completed in the name of his faction. it shines even in this bare afternoon of greys and browns and murky water, the tip glittering-bright with a deadliness so poignant it can be sensed, felt, tasted, in the air between them both. ]
Whether human or fae, such devotion is the height of purity. Yet this purity cannot be reciprocated. Eternity does not exist for love. Even for gods and goddesses, time is finite.
[ an execution, or a mercy; perhaps, were (she)/(it) able to do so, this lost soul would relinquish (her)(it)self, yet the jewel anchors the spectre, fastening what remains of it to this earth in this shadow of life.
he traverses the waters between them in a series of quick, long strides, readying and turning the sword. ]
This, then, is the end of your dream. Fall, and be at peace.
[ the long, draping branches of the willow sink, sway, and rise like tendrils; its motion is ambiguous, perhaps a shudder, or perhaps some final attempt at a last self-protective attack, but whatever the intention or nature of the movement, it is already too late. metal plunges through wood. with a loud crack and a sighing sound like the wind (not even a final scream), the tree splits apart. in the end, it sounds almost like any other tree, creaking and groaning as its structure gives way and it splinters spectacularly at a single blow from the King of Heroes. yet the tree does not merely fall. the leaves of the willow begin to disintegrate, to shatter into dust. that deep, low rumbling, like a final gasping death sob echoes on the air as sudden bursts of light and mist rush up from the water and the trunk shudders and appears to melt away, transforming to ether and vague swamp lights, as ephemeral as the golden sparks which precede Gilgamesh's own materialization.
before its own light can even be seen, Gilgamesh has plunged his hand into this rapidly collapsing entity and seized something that is as yet invisible. he feels it, senses it, before it ever touches the air or before his eyes can behold it. in another instant, the screeching of wind and collapse rises to its final pitch.
Gilgamesh turns to face Hakuno again. the Flame, a semi-solid comprised of glinting red jewel that pulsates from within and without and seems to enclose softer flesh and muscle, viscous, brilliant red, and still stained with the heart-sap and muck of its former owner, pumps within his hand, so heavy it bulges between his fingers. there is no escaping, though, not from how he squeezes it purposefully, triumphantly possessive.
at his back, the disappearing, disintegrating dust of the tree fades on the air, or sinks into the water, leaving only a momentary whirlpool dip that the marsh briefly rushes into, until that, too, closes, absorbed by the silence.
an empty place -- not even a hollow marks where those roots took hold. ]
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It isn't the first time. She prays it will be the last, without any real direction or even belief in the prayer itself. Passionlip, Meltryllis, BB... Sakura, at least, had chosen her own end. Had ushered and welcomed and dictated the terms of it, turning all of that suffering strife into a dream. For a moment, an instant, a heartbeat, instead of a willow warped around a bloody red gem, she sees a grand cherry tree gnarled over the bright, digital blue of the Moon Cell's core. Her vision blurs, her chest tightens—
She has to blink, and then the deed is done.
Hakuno isn't sure if it would be kinder, to have remains left in the wake of it, or infinitely, impossibly crueler. She doesn't dwell on it, and strides through the water herself meet her Servant. She reaches out, fingers closing over his—over the Flame—and she doesn't flinch back from the tacky, hot remnants of what once held this jewel, so long and so dearly. It seeps over her skin, sticks to it, warm and wet.
This, at least, is new.
She watches it a moment, and when she speaks her voice is quiet and even.]
...I think... I want to put it back in a shield. Can we do that, Gilgamesh?
[It would be a mark of prowess, she knows, to present it like this. Surely, Gilgamesh's warrior heart would purr at the prospect of hoisting up such a trophy, fresh from the kill for all to see. But Hakuno keeps circling back to the point of this, beyond just mercy.
There's blood on this jewel, maybe more than she'll ever know. If it's meant as a gift for a new beginning—new life—then she at least wants to make it more than just a palmful of power and heartache.]
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Are you asking me to use one of my treasures to complete this task?
[ the King's eyes drop to Hakuno's hand enclosed over his own, his brows furrowing as he stares at the jewel with eyes of the same hue of intense blood red. absently, more focused on his own priorities than on Hakuno's concerns, he murmurs -- ]
A power source such as this one would enhance our abilities considerably, and with my vault in such a condition, that is no small matter when we find ourselves within a time of war. This Loras had best compensate us handsomely for relinquishing such an item, let alone retrieving it to begin with.
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[She makes no attempt to tug the gem out of his hand or closer to her. This, she had known going in, would be the biggest sticking point; it's by no means anything approaching the fit of temper he popped into when they found an empty treasure chest in the Labyrinth, back on the Far Side, but it's an inherent snag she had expected to hit. Gilgamesh considered all the world's treasures to be his; while this is not Earth, a millennia of entitlement some could call well-earned through countless trials and tribulations is difficult to shake.
And their position is tenuous. Their abilities, his more than hers, need to be shored up.
So she waits, and she listens, neither letting go or holding tighter, until his thoughts are properly aired.]
If it's something that's been out of their reach but still sought, time and time again, for thousands of years? I imagine we certainly will be.
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You are mistaken, Hakuno. Those you call "friends" tasked you with this journey. Never forget: I do not accept such presumptuous titles of intimacy.
[ there is no berating there, no grousing, no name-calling, only the simple reminder of his nature. it is one she knows very well, certainly enough to anticipate any of the objections he has raised during this outing, but even with that knowledge, there are times when it seems necessary to re-establish that element of distance. he may be her partner in name and deed, but there are matters he cannot join her on.
Gilgamesh's grip loosens, and he releases the jewel into Hakuno's hand, turning away. still, with the same distant tone, he continues -- ]
Yet, as the King, I shall hear your supplication and answer it. In the interest of completion, I shall grant your request, this once.
[ there is no joy in his tone, and it can be reasonably inferred that nothing about his inherent possessiveness over the gem has subsided, but Gilgamesh has his own sense of honor. he will not lie or steal and he will see to it that this duty is carried out properly and to the fullest; Hakuno made her request of him, and he shall honor it as is her due. still, she must continue to remember that this warmth and feeling which imbues her at the occasion for which they labor is not something he is capable of partaking in. he continues to be suspicious, wondering why a powerful race of beings would need their assistance for what had not proven to be an exceptionally challenging victory, and wondering as well at their other intentions. yet even he is not wholly closed off to the possibility of allies or reward; for now, the King shall simply wait to witness what comes next, and whether it shall be to his satisfaction. ]
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[As always, that's the only thing she can control. Can grasp in her hands and shape, like Sakura did. Her own spin on the final step, her own choice to take that last step.
She cups the Flame in her hands, and follows after him. There are many questions this raises—is the birth the only angle for requesting this now? Were they spared the full breadth of the tree's power and rage simply for not being fae, and a reminder of those who slaughtered its beloved? Had they not spoken to it, would its resistance have been radically more deadly? Did Loras come up with this idea, or was the gift requested from the royals themselves?—and there's no way to be entirely sure the gem will be used as she hopes it will. But she wants, so badly, to finish this on her own terms.
She returns to Gilgamesh's side, once they're clear of the muck.]
Thank you, Gilgamesh. And, I'd... I'd like to put something of mine into this, too.
[She had talked it down, had opened it up, had drawn its mind to the truth of its situation, but that feels like a small contribution, in the face of her Servant's characteristically swift slaying of the trapped soul.
When they settle on a shield, and a smith to set in the Flame, Hakuno gives one more request: to set in four of her few remaining Magic Crystal Sphere's from the Moon Cell around it, as well. They're dyed a faint red themselves, in the ruddy corona given off by the gem. Then, at last, they are left to clean themselves up and return to Fidei, to Loras...
To the King and Queen of the Fae, their gift polished and prepared.]