Uruk, Mesopotamia, 2500 BC
Gilgamesh, known as "King of Heroes." Born a demigod, he was the arrogant yet wise ruler of Uruk. That night, he had just returned from his fruitless voyage in search of immortality. Exhaustion and disappointment were clearly visible on his face, especially since he had just lost his close friend, Enkidu. This made him fear death. He was resting on his throne, falling asleep and enjoying the peaceful silence of the night. Unfortunately, the peace did not last long.
"Your Majesty, I apologize for disturbing your rest, but there is something urgent that I must report! A soldier appeared, rushing towards Gilgamesh. His breathing was heavy, as if he had been chased by a wild beast.
"Speak! Tell me what has you in such a rush this early in the dawn?!" Gilgamesh replied, annoyed that his rest had been disturbed.
"I beg your forgiveness, Your Majesty, but there is a report of a farm on the western edge of the city that has been completely devastated, like it had been struck by a storm, Your Majesty."
"The west, huh..." Gilgamesh said, staring at the sky, sensing that something bad was about to happen in the city of Uruk.
"Is something wrong on the west side, Your Majesty?"
"No, nothing, just a premonition.
"Additionally, in several corners of the city, there have been inexplicable natural disasters—forest fires, violent winds, droughts, and even contaminated water sources for some reason." Gilgamesh looked startled, realizing...
"In addition, in some parts of the city, there have been inexplicable natural disasters, forest fires, hurricanes, droughts, and even contaminated water sources." Gilgamesh looked shocked to learn that his city, which he had left only a few weeks ago, was now in total chaos. Gilgamesh immediately remembered a story he had read on one of the tablets stored in the palace library. Gilgamesh immediately ordered the palace librarian to retrieve the tablet from the "restricted section" of the palace library, where ancient artifacts and manuscripts considered "dangerous" were stored.
After the librarian returned, Gilgamesh immediately snatched the tablets from his hands, sitting motionless while reading them on his throne. His expression now turned serious, his eyes fixed on every word on the tablets. He was well aware that what was happening to his city now was not normal.
Siduri, the right-hand man of the deceased Enkidu, had just arrived before Gilgamesh, bringing him a glass of wine she had made. Seeing Gilgamesh staring intently at the tablets on the throne made her feel surprised. It was unusual for Gilgamesh, who was known as a demigod who often challenged the gods themselves, to feel such fear.
"Your Majesty, what is happening? Why are you so anxious?" Siduri asked probingly.
"The city is in chaos. Destruction is happening all over the city. Most recently, a farm on the western edge was reported destroyed, and the cause is still a mystery," Gilgamesh replied without looking up from the tablet in his hands.
"Then what are you going to do?" Siduri asked curiously.
"I will check on the condition of the city, starting with the ruined farm on the western edge," Gilgamesh said firmly.
"Then what about the city? Who will lead it?"
"That's why I need you, Siduri! I entrust the responsibility of the Ziggurat to you for the time being. Make a thorough evacuation plan and save the people of Uruk. Prepare and dispatch some of the best soldiers and healers to evacuate and take care of the survivors," Gilgamesh ordered as he rose from his throne to put on his precious armor.
"Don't tell me Your Majesty plans to check it out alone? Isn't it necessary to bring Your Majesty's guards?" Siduri asked worriedly.
"No need. If what the Tablet says is true, then there is only one explanation for the chaos that has befallen this city," continued Gilgamesh. His gestures implied concern for the fate of his people, and of course, his own fate.
.
"Very well. If that is your command, leave it to me. But I have one request: return safely!" Siduri, who understood the great king's personality, could only obey his command. She was well aware that if Gilgamesh was determined to act alone, it meant that the problem at hand was not a small one.
A few moments later, Gilgamesh was seen ready in his armor and with his beloved sword, Enkidu—named after his friend as a sign of respect—proudly slung across his waist. He strode majestically through the palace gates, leaving the Ziggurat behind and heading for the location of the destroyed farm.
When Gilgamesh arrived at the location, a horrific scene unfolded before his eyes. The farm buildings were almost completely destroyed, the corpses of animals were scattered throughout the farm, some still intact, some burned to a crisp, the rest unrecognizable, like uneaten food scraps. Fortune smiled on the farm owners' family; if it weren't for the bunker they had built directly beneath their house, they would certainly not have survived.
"This is worse than I thought," Gilgamesh muttered.
"Hey, you! Are you the owner of this farm?" Gilgamesh asked an old man who looked gloomy as he lamented the fate of his farm.
"Your Majesty? Yes, Your Majesty, I am the owner of this farm," replied the old man, surprised by the presence of the great king.
"Explain to me what happened to your farm!"
"Last night everything was fine, Your Majesty. I fed my livestock as usual. But a few moments ago, I heard a loud crash coming from the barn. When I went outside to check, it was already like this, with flames everywhere. Some of the animals were running around in fear, but most of them were dead. But..." The old man's voice froze as he was about to continue his story.
"Then?" asked Gilgamesh, still unsatisfied with the old man's story.
Cold sweat began to flow down the old man's forehead, his sad face suddenly turned fearful, like someone who had just met Ereshkigal, the goddess of the underworld. Realizing that the farm owner's expression had changed to fear, Gilgamesh immediately sensed that something was wrong in this place.
"I-I saw it with my own eyes, a terrifying monster, walking on two legs, its appearance like a creature from the underworld. With claws as big as daggers, its body was almost as big as the barn. I saw it emerge from the flames carrying half a cow in its right hand."
Hearing the farmer's statement, Gilgamesh sensed that something was wrong in that place. He immediately put himself on guard and drew the sword of Enkidu from its sheath, prepared to fight.
"Stay here!" Gilgamesh ordered the farm owner.
"I'm going to check the ruins of your farm." Gilgamesh then walked into the farm area, which was now unrecognizable. He walked cautiously, his gaze sweeping every corner of the ruins.
Rip! Rip!
Grrr…
A very fast movement was heard in the area. Gilgamesh immediately drew his sword, ready to receive any attack. However, something terrible and unexpected happened.
"HELP...!!!" A weak scream was heard from the direction where the old man who owned the farm was waiting. Gilgamesh, who heard it, immediately ran towards the location, but it was too late. The old man who owned the farm was already dead, lying at the feet of the creature in a pitiful condition.
The huge beast standing before him reminded him of the Lahmu, the children of Tiamat. The primordial goddess of birth and chaos who often wreaked devastation on Mesopotamia due to her vengeance against Ea, the god of creation and wisdom.
Gilgamesh stared at the creature with horror and anger. A monster that had killed animals and their innocent owners, his anger peaked, his sword drawn, signaling that he was ready to fight to the death. The monster stared at Gilgamesh with a killing gaze, a deadly smile flashing across its face.
They ran, charging at each other. Gilgamesh's angry screams echoed in the sky, and a strong killing intent also emanated from the monster's gaze. The battle was inevitable. Both of them launched their strongest attacks. The monster's movements were agile, but Gilgamesh, who had fought many battles and was the only person who had ever killed Humbaba, was able to easily dodge the monster's attacks and retaliate. However, Gilgamesh's attacks continued to fail because the monster could regenerate the wounds.
After nearly an hour of fighting, Gilgamesh managed to cut off the monster's head. However, it was not a feeling of joy that was reflected on his face, but horror, as if Gilgamesh already knew what would happen in the future. He then took the creature's corpse to the Ziggurat for further examination.
Gilgamesh realized that what happened that day was not the end, but the beginning of a greater destruction brought about by a mysterious entity whose horror was far beyond the imagination of mankind, even more terrifying than the primordial goddess Tiamat herself. From that day on, the dawnfall of ancient Mesopotamian civilization began.
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