Babylon (2): First days.

Well, here's the chapter, hope you enjoy it. As I mentioned, I had to take a bit of time off to organize the story, but I'll be back to posting regularly.

That being said, a little plug: Did you know I have a (P)(A)(T) now? Yes! I do.

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When I create other stories, I'll also post them there first, so go check it out.

Well, with my plug done, have a great chapter everyone and happy reading!

(P)(A)(T)/CalleumArtori.

[...]---[...]

POV: Enkidu.

"My visit to this kingdom is somewhat random," the Hunter responded to the question. "If it weren't for finding Naram's tribe, Doll and I probably wouldn't be visiting Uruk anytime soon."

A plausible answer, especially since he didn't seem to be lying... Still, there was something strange about this Hunter.

He didn't seem divine, didn't exude divinity, but there was still something off about him... It was, unnatural.

"Nevertheless, you are here in my kingdom. What do you intend to do now?" Gilgamesh asked. I could see that he had his full attention on the Hunter, ignoring the tribe leader and Doll.

It was expected that I wasn't the only one who noticed something odd about the Hunter.

"If your majesty allows, Doll and I intended to stay to help Naram's tribe settle." The Hunter had a noble air in his speech.

He was respectful but not servile. He acknowledged Gilgamesh as a king but not as his ruler.

"And then?" Gilgamesh asked, unconcerned with how the Hunter behaved. "If I accept the presence of this people in my kingdom, what would you and your companion do after helping them?"

Ah... I think I already knew where this was going...

"That would depend. If your majesty allows us to stay in the kingdom, Doll and I would take the opportunity to see what Uruk has to offer. If not, we would just continue traveling." The Hunter replied eloquently before falling silent, waiting for the king's response.

From what I can see, this response was the most neutral answer the Hunter could offer.

If Gilgamesh allowed them to stay, they would stay and enjoy the hospitality; if not, they would simply leave.

Gilgamesh took his time to decide, remaining silent while staring at the Hunter.

This simple act would have made men tremble, just as Naram seemed to be trembling, but the Hunter seemed undisturbed, meeting the king's gaze with one that was as indifferent as Gilgamesh's.

My only friend extended this little staring contest for a few seconds before lazily raising his hand and pointing to Siduri.

"Siduri, take them to lodge in one of the areas on the outskirts of the kingdom." Gilgamesh ordered, making Naram, who seemed on the verge of fainting from tension, sigh in relief and prostrate himself, thanking the king for giving him and his tribe this opportunity.

As for the Hunter and Doll, they thanked in a more subdued manner, with Hunter placing his right hand extended just below his chest, making a slight bow, and Doll placing both hands in front of her body and mimicking Hunter's bow.

"As your majesty wishes." Siduri responded to the king's order and walked to the door. "Come, I'll guide you." She said as she walked, not waiting to see if they would follow.

When the three plus Siduri left the throne room, I spoke to Gilgamesh.

"The Hunter is not human. Are you sure it's wise to let him stay?" I asked. As friendly as he might seem, he still posed a risk to the population.

"Do you take me for a fool, Enkidu?" The king said in a slightly sarcastic tone. "Even if I were blind, I would still have noticed that this hunter was not human."

"Then why?" I asked, knowing the answer. "Why not expel them?"

"I'm curious about what he intends to do." Gilgamesh said as he went back to reading the stone tablet. "The hunter and that doll seemed interesting."

"In short, you're bored." I stated.

Gilgamesh scoffed at my statement but didn't deny it.

"He didn't seem like a god. Do you have any idea what he was?" The Hunter. "None of my inquiries worked." Something seemed to hide the Hunter and Doll.

I didn't know what it was, but it didn't seem divine, or anything else. It was as if the world itself decided to conceal him, which I knew was also wrong, as I had a strong connection to nature and knew that the planet was not responsible for this concealment.

"He was human before becoming what he is now, able to hide from my eyes." The king replied with an indifferent air but with a curious glint in his eyes.

I see... "He managed to hide even from your eyes." How curious.

I understood why Gilgamesh seemed to have his curiosity piqued; I was the same. A hunter and a doll, The Hunter And The Doll. A duo shrouded in mystery...

It seems like interesting days lay ahead...

[…]

POV: Doll.

"This is a beautiful city," I exclaimed aloud, looking at the city as we walked behind Miss Siduri. "It's different from what I expected." From what the Good Hunter had told me, this world was millennia behind Yharnam.

I expected a more archaic people, ancient structures like the villages we found in ruins along the way, but no, Uruk was a well-built and located city.

"Uruk is a city that would function even in modern times," the Good Hunter replied. "Both in my native world and in Yharnam." A great compliment.

"Did Uruk exist in your world?" I asked. "I mean, before you came to Yharnam, did the city still exist?"

As we talked, I could feel the power of the Good Hunter surround us like a thin barrier, preventing Siduri, Naram, and everyone else around us from hearing our conversation, both the rest of Naram's people and the Uruk in the market.

"Yes and no," the Good Hunter answered calmly while looking ahead. "There was still a city named Uruk, but the city we are in now was gone millennia ago." His eyes gleamed with Insight as he continued his explanation.

"As much as Uruk could still function even at that time, few things survive the test of time. The Pthumerians and Pthumeru are there to prove that point." He explained.

Pthumerians... A people predating Yharnam, the first to explore the cosmos and make contact with the Great Ones.

They had advanced technology, strong bodies, and supernatural wisdom. But even that did not prevent the destruction of their city and people...

Arriving at the outskirts of Uruk, Siduri showed us an empty plot, still within the walls but on the outskirts of the city.

The plot was large, easily accommodating Naram's people.

"You can set up your tents in this area. If you want to build houses or any other structure, you'll need the king's approval first." Siduri explained.

"Thank you for being our guide, Miss Siduri," the Good Hunter thanked.

Naram took the opportunity to approach and talk to Miss Siduri for a few seconds, asking if she could request permission from the king for them to build houses.

Miss Siduri said she could ask, but it wasn't her decision, and she would return with the answer tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

Bidding farewell to Miss Siduri, Naram began giving orders to the others, to light a fire in the center and set up tents around the fire to protect themselves from the cold when night fell.

"Do you want to go see the city, Doll?" The Good Hunter asked, walking to my side and watching Naram's people work.

I waved to little Nanaya, who was trying to help set up a tent. She was clumsy but determined.

"I'll accept that offer. Oh, Good Hunter," I replied.

Naram's people didn't seem to need help, and I was curious about what the Uruk sold and what establishments they had.

"Allow me to accompany you then," the Good Hunter said, offering his arm to me.

I smiled faintly as I linked my arm with his and we walked back to the city's market.

[…]

On the next day, Miss Siduri returned with the king's permission for the people of Naram to build houses; with that, the next days became busy.

Naram's men started building the houses on the same day, exchanging belongings for materials and going out to gather wood, stones, and mud.

"Do you need help with the construction?" the Good Hunter asked, looking at the pile of materials.

"I dare not refuse your kindness, but please let us do this ourselves," Naram replied with a slightly breathless voice, tired from carrying the materials.

"I cannot thank you enough for everything you and the lady have done for us," Naram said with raw emotion in his voice. "But this is something that I and my men must do."

The Good Hunter nodded. "A fresh start." It wasn't a question but a statement.

"A fresh start. A new chance," Naram replied. "I just wish Nanaya's mother were here to raise our girl..."

"From what I've seen, you've done a good job as a father." The Good Hunter placed his hand on Naram's shoulder.

Naram nodded gratefully for the Good Hunter's words.

The next days passed quickly, turning into weeks as the construction of the houses progressed rapidly.

While the people of Naram, now Uruks, built the houses, the Good Hunter and I took the opportunity to explore Uruk, going to the city in the afternoon and returning at night to rest in a tent.

The days were somewhat enjoyable, as strange as that emotion was; it was something that wasn't bad.

The Good Hunter also seemed more relaxed; it was good to see him rest and finally have peace.

Three weeks later, we received a visit. He appeared just before we set out for the city.

"His Majesty Enkidu!" Both men and women in the village greeted him respectfully.

"Sorry for the abrupt visit; please don't stop your tasks because of me." He had a serene face and a slight smile.

Was that how I looked when I smiled?... It seemed somehow fake.

"I see you two are heading out. Could I accompany you?" He asked. "I'd like to talk to you both, ask some questions."

The Good Hunter stared at the one who was like me for a few seconds. Enkidu stared back with a slight smile, waiting for the answer.

"You can join us," the Good Hunter replied. "You can also ask your questions; I just can't guarantee that I'll answer them."

"I couldn't expect more." He replied.

As we walked through a part of the city we hadn't visited before, Enkidu started asking.

"What do you think of Uruk so far?" Enkidu asked, keeping pace with our steps.

"A beautiful city," the Good Hunter replied. "The people seem happy and prosperous."

The city was also clean and well-organized.

"I heard it wasn't like this years ago," the Good Hunter spoke as he looked at the tower in the center of the city, where the palace was.

"I also heard that this change was thanks to you. The king's best friend," he stated. "You are very beloved by the people."

That was true. Whenever a conversation came up with an Uruk, they always spoke of Enkidu with a respectful and thankful voice.

"I may be involved in a small part of this change, but I don't think it's something worthy of praise," Enkidu smiled serenely as he replied. "But I'm glad that my king's subjects hold me in high regard. It warms my heart to know that."

"And you. What do you think of Uruk?" the Good Hunter asked the one with long green hair.

"It's a beautiful city. It thrives under the king's reign," he said with a serene voice, looking at the Uruks and then at the sky. "I'm also glad that even with cities like Uruk in the world, nature still thrives. A beautiful balance."

"And where do you come from? What is it like there?" He asked, looking at me for a moment and letting his gaze fall on the Good Hunter.

The Good Hunter took a few moments to respond, as if deciding whether to answer or not.

"Yharnam used to be a beautiful city," the Good Hunter began speaking with a distant voice. "It thrived in its culture and its people."

"Used to be?" Enkidu asked. "No more?"

A slight strange feeling arose in my chest as I remembered what Yharnam had been. Memories that were not mine but were as strong nonetheless.

Was it sadness, melancholy? I couldn't tell. It wasn't a good feeling.

"No more," the Good Hunter replied with a flat voice, showing no emotion.

"I see... Was that the reason for your departure?" Enkidu asked. "Sorry if it's intrusive; I'm just curious."

"One of them," the Good Hunter calmly said without further explanations.

Enkidu nodded without pressing on the matter.

The next few minutes were spent in silence, with the Good Hunter leading the way as he always did, me calmly following behind him, and Enkidu seemingly content with the serene silence and the ambient voices of the Uruks.

He didn't ask any more questions, maybe because he thought the Good Hunter or I wouldn't answer, or perhaps because he didn't want to disturb; I couldn't tell.

After this short stroll, Enkidu bid farewell, asking if it would be okay for him to make another visit.

With the Good Hunter's agreement, the doll crafted by divine hands departed.

"A somewhat strange meeting," I said. "But not unpleasant. He was polite."

"Yes. He didn't try to force any topic and was respectful," the Good Hunter affirmed. "It was a brief but not unwelcome conversation."

"Let's keep going," the Good Hunter said as he walked. "It's getting late."

"Good Hunter, do you have any specific place you want to go tomorrow? We've already seen almost the entire city."

"I have nothing in mind. I'm just letting everything happen naturally," he explained. "And you, Doll. Any ideas?"

If I had any ideas?...

"Nanaya asked me yesterday if I could teach her to be big and strong like me," I explained with a slight confusion in my voice.

The Good Hunter gained a slight playful gleam in his eyes as he listened. "Do you intend to teach her?" He asked.

"I don't know... What would I teach her?" Etiquette or other arts I knew could be useful, but...

"She herself said, didn't she? Teach her to be 'big and strong' like you," the Good Hunter explained. "If you want to teach her to fight, that's fine, or just to defend herself."

"An apprentice..." I said in a low voice.

"You don't have to take her as an apprentice, just teach her without pretension and see where it goes."

"I understand... And you, Good Hunter. Do you intend to take on an apprentice someday?" I asked with slight curiosity.

The subject had never come up before, and with the hunt over, new hunters were no longer needed, but perhaps the Good Hunter had a different plan.

"An apprentice... No. I don't intend to," the Good Hunter said with a serious voice. "Let me be the last hunter, the end of an ancient nightmare. Let the workshop rest."

"If that's what the Good Hunter desires." I was not against that idea.

As sad as it was to leave the workshop empty, it was good; that way, Gehrman and all those resting in it would have the rest they deserved...

[...]---[...]

Yay! Another chapter of Hunter.

Well, some explanations:

Gilgamesh and Enkidu know that something is off, especially with the Hunter, but they don't know what since the Hunter's concealment is good.

Is it strange that Gilgamesh let the Hunter and the Doll stay in Uruk? In a way, no. Goldie has an absurd pride and even more arrogance. The thought process was more or less like this: "If these two cause trouble, I'll deal with them later."

Well, more interactions between the four in the next chapter.

Any theories about what might happen? Who else will appear in this Babylonian saga? Comment below.

Well, that's it, good night everyone, and happy reading.