Published at 9th of September 2025 12:32 pm

Book 5: Chapter 17 The Faith [Part 1]

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And the Prophet, peace be upon him, taught to us the greatest of magic that we might smite the enemies of man.

- Imani the Blessed of the Faith.

Larynda worked with her usual precision, helping me into my gear faster than I thought possible. Her fingers moved deftly, tightening straps and adjusting buckles with the confidence of long practice. All that remained was the gorget and helm. I knelt to let her fasten the heavy steel collar around my neck, my hammer resting within arm’s reach.

The moment I reached for the weapon, the door crashed open, slamming against the wall. I barely had time to react before Elenora stormed into the room, her usual flawless hair a chaotic, golden tangle. There was something almost erotic about it being in such fantastic disarray.

“Gilgamesh! Is it true?” she gasped, her voice breathless and panicked.

Elenora had always been a striking woman—waifishly thin, with blonde hair that shimmered. Her beauty was undeniable, but not the kind that ever quite drew me in. Not that it stopped me from enjoying her company and her body, more times than I care to count.

This, however, was no time for such distractions. I straightened, the weight of my armor settling heavily on my shoulders. “What rumors are they spreading now, Elenora? That Aelayah has gone mad? That Aelayah has been replaced with a…”

“They say you cursed her with madness!” she exclaimed, her words tumbling over each other. “The Sultana herself has called for your death. For the moment, Farzan—”

She did not get the chance to finish. The door burst open again, and in walked Farzan, his armored boots striking the floor with sharp, deliberate force.

“Gilgamesh!”

I sighed inwardly. Today was shaping up to be a parade of unwelcome interruptions.

Farzan stood before me, fully armed, his expression as rigid as the steel he wore. “What have you done?” he demanded, his voice flat and clipped.

I felt my patience fraying. “I healed your damn Lady. Or Sultana, I suppose, would be the proper term now.”

Farzan’s hand drifted to the hilt of his sword, but it was more reflex than threat. “Perhaps… you offered insult.”

I met his gaze, letting my expression settle into the stony neutrality I had practiced in my time here. “No. And even if I had, do you think Aelayah is the sort of person to lose her mind over a minor slight? Farzan, I bled for her. I fought to see her rise to power. Do you really believe I’d harm her now?”

His doubt was obvious, flickering in his eyes like a candle in the wind.

“It is as you say,” he muttered, but his voice was tinged with hesitation. “Still… our Sultana is not well.”

He sank onto an ottoman uninvited, his frustration palpable. “This cannot get out… not yet. If word spreads, it could undo everything we’ve worked for.”

“We are leaving,” I told him, seizing the moment. “We will put some distance between us until she calms down. Surely, you agree that’s the best course?”

Farzan rubbed his temples, his breath hissing between his teeth. “Yes. For now. I find myself in agreement with you.”

*****

Farzan led us through the palace, his presence granting us passage through the labyrinthine halls. The watered marble seemed colder than I remembered, the urgency of our departure turning once-familiar corridors into something alien.

We paused at a door—the room where Enkidu had passed from this world to join his ancestors. The shadow of his absence loomed over me.

I still had his ashes

“He was a good man,” I said, the words hollow even as I spoke them. “I relied on him more than I ever realized.”

Larynda said nothing, her eyes glistening with tears she refused to shed.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and Farzan’s sharp voice cut through the stillness. “We don’t have time for this. The Sultana is sedated, but she’ll wake soon enough.”

I swallowed my frustration and turned away. There was no time for mourning, not now. That would come later—if ever.

We continued down the halls, the clanking of my heavy armor echoing loudly against the silence. Guards nodded as we passed, their expressions carefully neutral. When we reached the main gates, Farzan hesitated, his hand resting on the latch. He had wanted me to leave through the servant’s gate, but I would have none of it.

I would not leave here like some sort of thief.

“Where will you go?” he asked, his tone quiet but firm.

“The Begonia's Shade,” I replied, my voice steady. “You’ll find me there.”

Farzan’s lips twisted into a bitter smile. “So, this is where we part ways, you damned foreigner. You’ve brought much change—some of it good, though I hate to admit it. May the gods watch over you.”

“And you, old friend,” I said, my voice softening despite myself. “The gaming will not be the same without you.”

He snorted. “At least I won’t be cheated out of my stipend. Go now, Gilgamesh. Lie low. I’ll send word when the Sultana has calmed.”

I nodded. “Very well. May we meet again soon.”

“Not too soon,” he quipped, his voice laced with a faint chuckle.

With that, the gates opened, and we stepped into the unknown. The weight of the palace fell away behind us, replaced by the uncertainty of what lay ahead.

*****

The Begonias Shade was as prosperous as ever, clientele aplenty even now in the late afternoon. Perhaps even more prosperous now, I reckoned, with the addition of Niminias’ girls. I made my presence known, and the proprietor of the inn led me to one of the back rooms.

“Gilgamesh,” Naira offered in simple greeting, her scarlet eyes like her daughters, almost bewitching in their shade.

Red after all was a color that evoked passion.

“Naira,” I returned, taking a seat on a simple wooden chair.

The years had touched her lightly, but recent worry and grief had left their subtle mark here and there. However, Naira, like her daughter, could still be counted a beautiful woman. In this world, they had their litter at a young age and at a rough guess, I would put Naira in her thirties. It was a shame that my magic could not reveal such facts.

The magic dagger at my side thrummed with restrained energy, and I placed a hand on it. Thankfully, it stilled.

“I thought you were staying at the Mahdi Al-Maraquis. You are welcome here, of course,” she stated more than questioned, her lips tight.

A certain tension simmered between us.

“Certain things have happened,” I answered, my voice flat and controlled. “You know that violence has been rocking the city since the tournament, it is something to do with that. That is all that I can say on that matter.”

She pursed her lips.

“...and my daughter. You have news?” she asked weak and hesitant.

“I do indeed,” I blurted, taken slightly off guard. Not at the question itself, for I had expected it, but at its timing. I had not expected it so soon.

“I know… at least you tried,” she started to reply before understanding hit her. “You have news! Please, you must…”

“Let me take off this armor first and prepare my thoughts. You will allow me that, Naira? Then I will tell you all that I know. It is quite the long tale.”

“Very well, Gilgamesh,” she said demurely, standing up suddenly and bowing to me from the hip. “Thank you. Thank you for doing this. You have brought this mother some measure, samasa.

Embarrassed, I stood up too, both hands in front of me. “I did only what was proper. You will have to excuse me. I will be ready to receive you in half a turn of the glass.”

And with that, I escaped that room and her gaze, hungry and desperate for news.

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