"Yes, that night...." the old man continued.

Following their dismissal, Beskar and Johnhughthom decided not to split up for the night. They went back to Beskar's home, just a short walk away. They didn't speak to each other, though they did give occasional glances. They arrived at a pair of gates leading to a secluded section of the city. Beskar opened them with a key, and welcomed the guest with a gesture. The two continued down a newly re-done road. A large, marble mansion lay off in the distance.

"It's not too bad, is it?" Beskar said with a coy glance. "I haven't remodeled the building itself in a few years though, you'll have to forgive its sloppy appearance." John simply shook his head in amazement as they drew closer. The marble was virtually spotless. He wished he could have seen it in the sunlight, in all its radiant glory. Still, it was far more splendid than any of the many hovels that littered Babylon. They arrived at a set of massive double doors at the front of the mansion. John moved up to lift the one on the right, allowing Beskar to enter first. A large chandelier hung from a large ceiling, with large, burned out candles. Beskar flicked a wrist and they lit, offering light to the forum. A large, rectangular, marble table dominated it, with purple cloth draped over it. "Would you like dinner?" Beskar asked John. He nodded. "Excellent!"

Beskar clapped, and a pair of servants, one male, the other female, emerged from wooden doors on either side of the room. They scurried before Beskar, head bowed the entire time. "Bring us the dinner," Beskar commanded. The two merely bent their heads further, and scurried through the door to the left of the table. "Please, John. Sit," Beskar said, indicating a leather-bound chair at the end of the table. Taking the cue, John sat down, watching Beskar wind around to the other end. "Well, John... were you wondering why I chose you?"

"A bit," he replied. "I assume you had good reason?"

"Oh, of course, my dear. You see, you have been there for me for so long. You've been with me through this chaotic time. Longer than the others. I wanted you to be the last one here, ready to see my plan finally come to fruition. You deserved that much, at least. Ah! And here we are!" The servants had returned, bearing large glass platters, garnished with several meats and exotic fruits. John raised an eyebrow at the lavish display. "Please, please," Beskar urged as the platter was laid before John. "Feel free. It is a small token of my appreciation."

And so with gusto John ate while Beskar sat and watched, refraining from eating. Upon finishing, he noticed the plate opposite him hadn't been touched. He wasn't sure what to make of the situation, nervously glancing around. "Well... aren't you hungry? It must have been a while since you've had anything."

"Well, my dear," Beskar responded, tapping finger to chin. "I suppose i haven't had anything since last night. I guess, come to think of it, it is time. But first, I must ask: was your meal satisfactory? Did it make you feel good?"

"Well.... it was fantastic, I suppose," John answered. The wording of the last sentence was strange, he thought.

"Excellent. It is good that you will die happy. As I said, fitting. And, it's always a bit more satisfying to take a bit of happiness with me." John was startled, but for some reason, he didn't feel panic. More like a strange curiosity. An odd mist began to creep into the room. "My dear, it has been good to know you. But, the time has come. Sadly, I must collect. No worries. I'll hold you closely, forever. So, don't think of it as a goodbye. Think of it as... bonding." Despite the pain in his chest, John sat in his chair quite calmly, until his body eventually failed, slumping him down his his chair. With that, Beskar stood up, surrounded by a sharp, blue aura.

"Time for one last date."




"Now, as the sun rose the next day," the old man continued. "Beskar arrived to find all the doors were opened, and all the veils and curtains had been tossed away. The throne room seemed odd with so much more sunlight streaming in. It was almost a shame that everyone else didn't get to see it. Standing in the middle of the room, at the foot of the stairs, was Mainyu. He held his hands out as Beskar walked in.

'Well, my dear. It seems you've finished. The winner of my challenge has presented herself,' he said. 'It's finally just the two of us. You. Me. Quite entertaining, really. The Heavens? The Netherworld?'

Beskar nodded. 'Yep. They all fell, one by one. As did that False King of Uruk. As did all the other mischievous forces. Just me,' Beskar said, pointing to herself. 'And you.'

'I'm impressed. I really must say, I am,' Mainyu continued. 'You wiped out my own guard, and survived the imminent threat of the Netherworld and the Gods, at the same time. I think we both know where this goes now. I know what you desire. You know what I desire. So, Ishtar,' Mainyu said, with his right hand held out. 'You have survived my tests. You have survived the tests of my enemies. None stand before me. The Heavens are vanquished. The Netherworld is vanquished. I may have lost everything in Babylon, but I have so much more. And so, the rest of the worlds are laid bare before me. Come, join me in rule. Be my queen, be at my side. The greatest, only King can have only the greatest Queen. Everything you desire- wealth, power, everyone else at our command. Well?'

'That's quite the tally you have there,' Ishtar responded with a mischievous smile. 'But gems? Finest clothes? Thrill of the hunt upon command? Hmm.... I suppose that's not a bad offer, not at all... my King,' she said, her grin growing wider. 'I fear you've given me no choice but to accept.'

'Excellent,' Mainyu responded. 'Now, let us go forth, and create a new world. For us.'"




With a sigh, the old man closed his eyes. "Well, my dear. That's it. How did you like it?

"But Granpa, where are you? There's only two people left. And you can't be Ishtar... but," the young girl queried to the old man.

He grinned, and for a moment, allowed his eyes to flash a violent red. The girl gasped. "What can I say, pumpkin. I was more adventurous in my youth," he said with a chuckle.

"But... but... aren't mommy and daddy human? And me?"

"Hehe... well, you see, pumpkin. After a while, grandma and I decided, we wanted to try letting humans run their own world a bit, so we didn't have to do everything. So, we adopted mommy and daddy when they were real young, even younger than you. And we raised them so they would be the best King and Queen they could be. That's why you get to be royalty! You might not be blood, but you're still family."

"Yay!" the girl giggled, reaching out to give a hug. Mainyu accepted it, before setting her back into the bed.

"Now, go to sleep, pumpkin. Daddy and Grandma have planned a celebration for our anniversary, I think..." And so he left the room and the young girl behind. As he jaunted down the hall, he allowed himself to drop his illusion. He turned for a moment to see himself in a mirror hung on a stone wall. His blackened skin was good as old. A shout from a stair case told him that he had alerted the party as to his nearby presence. "Ah, don't worry Dear, I wouldn't miss this for the world...."



ISHTAR VICTORY!


Alive: 1


Beskar



Killed: 21

TinCow (N1)
Tratorix (N1)
Visorslash (N1)
B_ray (N2)
Reenk Roink (N3)
Andres (N4)
Ironside (N4)
Romanic (N5)
Double A (N5)
Earthling (N6)
Believer (N7)
Secura (N8)
Yaropolk (N9)
GeneralHankerchief (N9)
Death is Yonder (N10)
Choxorn (N11)
TheLastDays (N12)
Major Robert Dump (N13)
Classical Hero (N14)
Captain Blackadder (N15)
Johnhughthom (N16)


Lynched: 15

Arjos (D1)
God Emperor (D2)
Fluffy (D3)
Askthepizzaguy (D4)
White eyes (D5)
Renata (D6)
Seon (D7)
Andres (D8)
Zack (D9)
Diamondeye (D10)
Woad&fangs (D11)
Chaotix (D12)
Glyphz (D13)
Warman (D14)
Riedquat (D15)

WoK: 4

SoulBlade
Khazaar
Autolycus
dcmort



More to come soon. People may now reveal roles if they wish.