The Fallen Kings [M]

[Gilgamesh]

Loud bangs on the bars resonated throughout the cell. A goblin in armor angrily glared into the cell as he pounded on the metal cage. “You animals better not touch each other while you’re in there with each other. There’ll be plenty of time to do the tomorrow.” The goblin ended the last sentence with a bit of glee. His excitement for the oncoming bloodshed clear in his beady eyes.

Gilgamesh couldn’t help but smirk. The armor fit the goblin almost as well as pants fit a dog, barking orders unknowingly to a power much higher than he. He could see him as a dog now, yipping away to seem scarier than he actually is.

“Hey you. What are you so happy about?” The goblin shouted into the cage. His breathing became short and labored as a boar when it is about to charge. The King couldn’t stop comparing this furious goblin with a variety of dumb animals.

Gilgamesh stood up and walked over to the goblin, looking down at him with nothing but the bars standing in between them.“Are you speaking to me you pathetic runt?” He raised an eyebrow, “Because you seem to forget your place in this world. I may be in bars, but I am a prime and a King and you will fear me.” The satisfaction of humiliating someone lesser of him reminded him of when he was back on top...for a second.

“Are you done?” The goblin sneered at him, before unsheathing some sort of weapon and pressing it against his skin. Electricity flowed from this foreign machine into his body, contracting all of his muscle and fell to the ground as if he were a puppet with his strings cut. “That’ll teach you to disrespect your superiors, slave. You may be a prime, but you are nothing here. The lord of Terror is the only prime that gets respect.”

Gilgamesh got onto one knee before the goblin tazed him again. “Learn your place and life here might be easier.” The goblin snickered and put his boot in the king’s face. The dirt caked shoe smeared its filth over his face and his golden hair. The boot pushed off with a final kick, forcing Gilgamesh’s face into the ground, stirring up dust. The goblin sat back down in his chair, looking happy with himself and began his shift supervising the prisoners.

Gilgamesh’s eyes flared with intense hatred as he got up off the ground and spat out the dirt from his mouth. The feeling of being horribly helpless was incredibly infuriating. In his time here, he has had no success in crushing resistant pests. Whether it be other primers, or even secondaries, these people seem to be on par or even have greater power than Gilgamesh. Those who disrespect him can’t get away with it...can they?

It would be impossible for a God to believe that people were on level with him. But if he were no longer a god, then he could do nothing to stop them. One would have to act as if he were human, playing silly politics to get his enemies to help him and use subterfuge to get ahead. The mere thought of it disgusted him. He was used to using people and gaining their trust when he had all the power, but the idea of needing others.

His heart dropped. He needed others. He cannot be a god by himself anymore, especially not in this verse. He would have to gather allies, and to...ugh be nice to people. Maybe stop calling people mongrels, even if they deserved it.

A slight tap on the shoulder startled the God-King. His head shot up, now seeing one of the prisoners that was in here before. The boy couldn’t of been older than 16, his skin a smooth caramel and his brown hair just covering his eyes. “Hey, are you okay? You’ve been down there a while.”

Gigamesh snapped out of his internal trance and stood up off the ground. The boy didn’t look like he could do much, his body sparse with muscle and his cheekbones seemed hollowed from hunger. However, he did survived this place so far so he must have some use. This could be a start. He feigned a sheepish smile. However, asking him for a polite smile was like asking him to pull out teeth. It looked painful at best.

“If you don’t want help, then you’re doing a great job,” the kid snapped. He could see right through the pathetic attempt. His eyes narrowed at Gilgamesh, starting to question whether or not he made the right choice.

Gilgamesh’s chest tightened, for a moment he felt self-pity that he hadn’t earned this child’s trust. “Wait no! His voice wavered in desperation. “I just don’t know who I can trust around here and this is all so new to me. He could feel the sense of truth and vulnerability slip through his lips. How could be brought to this, begging the help of a kid. But he needed to.

The kid looked into his eyes, peering to see if there was any sense of truth to those words. It was suddenly broken by a smile and held back laughter. “You don’t need to beg, I was just messing around with you.” Gilgamesh was taken aback, as the demeanor had completely changed.  “You should have seen the look on your face, it was pathetic.” The kid continued to mock.

Gilgamesh’s cheeks flushed red from a mix of embarrassment and anger. His status continued to plummet as long as if he were in this verse. But if were to get out, status should be the last thing on his mind. The need to feel superior cannot control him and should be replaced with the need to survive. He forced a smile to crack on his face and laughed with the child.

“Respect to how you stood up to the guard. Good on ya for standing up for yourself, even if it did mean you were made a fool of afterwards.” His voice was too comfortable, too happy and it jarred with how the world seemed to embody. The other faces in the room seemed distraught and tortured while his seemed a little peppy. How could he remain happy in this world.

Before Gilgamesh could get another word in he was pulled to the floor next to him. “So I overheard that you were a prime.” His demeanor changed and was a lot more reserved. “I think we could end up helping each other over here. I know how this place works, and you are...well probably pretty powerful.”

The King looked at the boy in a different light. He wasn’t some childish kid or a fool. He was an actor, a politician who played his strengths and was better at this game. Gilgamesh didn’t care about how this world worked. He wanted the knowledge to play people, and hopefully he could learn something.

“That sounds pretty nice for the both of us,” His lips curled into a smile.

“Perfect. The name’s Jonas, and yours?” Gilgamesh had to think. How could he make himself more plebeian. Gilgamesh is a very pompous name, and he shouldn’t give off that impression.

“My name is Gil.”


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The blazing, hot sun rose flooding the cell with light. He recoiled from the sudden light, his back aching from the sudden change of egyption cotton sheets to the dusty ground. The other prisoners woke up, but looked of death and has a sense of resignation in their eyes.

“Wake up ya animals. It’s time for you to die.” The same runt of a goblin shouted to the soon-to-be-gladiators. Keys rattled from his waist as he unlocked the cell door. Without complaint the prisoners got up from their seats from the ground and lined up outside the cell without instruction. Jonas got up from next to him and fell into line as well.

“Are we going to have a problem, oh so powerful prime.” The goblin sarcastically commented. He reached his hand for the taser and Gilgamesh put his hands up in a disarmed manner.

He feigned a smile while gritting his teeth. ”No. No we will not.” He walked over to the line with his hands remaining in the air. The line began to move itself, dredging like a morbid conga line. This line moved without any emotion, walking as if by muscle memory. Gilgamesh leaned forward to whisper to Jonas before being tazed by the goblin walking behind him.

“No talking!” He shouted, he thought for a second before smiling. “Or you can keep talking, I don’t mind doing this.” He snickered before walking ahead and opening the door of a chamber. “Get in there before I murder you myself.” He yelled at the gladiators before shoving Gilgamesh into the room.

Gil fell onto the floor, glaring at the door that just shut. He gathered himself before standing himself and dusting off his already filthy clothes. He searched for Jonas around the room and ran up to him, standing near him.

“What are we headed to.” But as soon as Jonas was about to speak gears began to whir and the floor jolted up, slowly elevating. Gil looked up to see the ceiling begin to retract within itself.

“We’re in for some fun,” Jonas’ serious face turned into a devilish smile. Gilgamesh looked surprised as the rest of the group looked in fear. He looked and found a few had soiled themselves before they had reached the top.

“What the fuck.” The small town’s arena had filled and reminded him of when he was the one sitting upon the throne.

“Welcome to the arena! These pathetic worms will fight for their lives against the best that the Lord of Terror has to offer.” The voice boomed across the arena. “The last prisoner standing gets to live!”

Gilgamesh’s head was spinning as so much was going on. The group of gladiators ran to the walls to gather any forms of weapons as doors in the wall of the arena fell. He turned his head to stick by Jonas but he was already off ripping a mace off of the wall. So much for teaching me how this place works.

Before Gil was able to get his own weapon, a loud rumble echoed throughout the arena. His head turned to the door and his heart fell. Amalgam’s of flesh and metal exited the arena, charging towards the gladiators. Roars exited their cavernous mouths, as they brandished the swords they had for arms. It was all happening so quickly as many of the gladiators were falling as they tried to fend for themselves. The swords slicing clean through the flesh, blood splattering onto the sand. The horrors would soon be coming for him if he didn’t defend himself.

“Hey pay attention, you’ll be useless if you stand gawking like that.” Jonas shoved Gil aside as he began to dispatch the other gladiators without hesitation. Unimpressive.

A monster of metal and flesh paused from its slaughter, its gaze falling upon the stationary King. It’s flesh separated from its metal form a makeshift mouth and roared, charging towards the King. Gilgamesh looked around for anything to serve as a weapon, not noticing all of the carnage and blood that lay on the ground. A glint of steel lay in the ground, caked in blood and rust. Gilgamesh dashed to grab it, the abomination slashing the back of his leg as he jumped to get it.

He landed, rolling over a slashed carcass, grabbing the sword in the process. He raised the sword, pointed at the creature attacking him. The creature quickly turned on its feet, charging like a bull at Gil. The creatures swords were pointed to pierce Gilgamesh. Now armed, his face was calm, ready for the barbarian to attack. As the creatures rushed to kill him, he swung his sword, driving the creatures arms into the dirt. With a flowing motion he was able slice into the creatures skull, slicing through its flesh until it collided with solid metal. The creature screamed, its pain heard across the arena.

The announcer's voice boomed through the arena once more, “ Wow folks, it seems like someone is actually putting up a fight this time.”

“ Ugh you all are so annoying,” he sighed before stabbing the creature in the eye, causing the creature to sink into the ground. He pulled the rusty sword from the body of the creature and wiped it’s viscous, black blood onto its horrid body. Gil peered around to see if Jonas was still alive, with him cheerfully avoiding contact with these abominations.

Gil made eye contact with Jonas who was genuinely confused. Jonas mouthed to Gil, “Why do you draw attention to yourself?” Jonas’ eyes widened as more abominations charged Gil, and he  tried to stay on the edge, avoiding detection.

Yeah avoiding attention will get me places. I don’t care how painful death is...I will be known. I will get stronger allies He smirked as the amalgams surrounded him.

“Looks like we go a bold gladiator here. Let’s see how spectacularly and gruesomely he dies,” the announcer’s voice shouted with glee. His voice dripped with excitement.

The monsters circled Gil, much more sensibly, rather than charge in and fall like their comrade. One amalgam struck out, swinging it’s arm out. Gil easily tossed the sword aside before another slashed out, rushing to parry it’s sword. He managed to misdirect the blow from his vital organs to slicing the muscle in his arm. Gilgamesh got bold and retaliated at the monster by piercing into it’s chest. A smirk grew on his face as his blade felt soft flesh, but was quickly abated by the stabbing pain in his back. He let out a scream of rage as he managed to avoid the blade of another creature while slashing into another. A sword went through his shoulder, then his thigh. Gil couldn’t go on the offensive. He parried two blows but one managed to stab him in his stomach. Blood spurted out of his mouth and he hunched over attempting to properly wield his sword. He couldn’t defend himself. He was going to die.

” I’ll take you with me!.” Gilgamesh lunged and was able to plunge his sword in a monster’s chest, as numerous plunged into his. The cold steel pierced his organs and cut his heart in two. Agony filled his mind a second before nothing but calmness washed over. Gil exploded into fractions of golden dust and his mind turned blank.
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Gilgamesh awakened to an all familiar cell with no one else in there but Jonas. How did he survive? A searing pain forced Gil to cringe. A second line appeared on his wrist...marking his deaths here. He cannot escape.

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