Shara, the short and stout god of agriculture.

  He was walking briskly, his arms full with a basket packed with medicinal

  herbs.

  When the five siblings called out loudly, he stopped in surprise and turned

  around.

  “Lord Shara! When did you arrive here?”

  As the siblings approached him warmly, Shara smiled back.

  “I am… also a god of medicine, you know. I came along to treat the wounded.

  I’ve already heard plenty about your deeds. As expected, truly impressive.”

  The court secretary frowned anxiously.

  They could not keep the kings waiting.

  Reading the situation, Shara gestured toward a nearby building.

  “I’ll be in the apothecary over there. When you’re done, come by at your

  leisure.”

  After Shara left, the five siblings followed the secretary into the palace.

  A vast crimson council chamber came into view, inside which the five kings and

  their high generals were already seated.

  Once the siblings took their places, Namur-Bel, appointed as supreme commander,

  rose and declared the start of the council.

  “Kings of the allied forces, heroes—this council is now in session.”

  Stolen story; please report.

  The chief scribe stood and read aloud from a stone tablet, presenting the

  agenda.

  The matter at hand was the fate of the invading nation, Uruk.

  The king of Ur spoke first.

  “This is the perfect opportunity. If we give them time, they will rebuild

  their strength and invade us again. Now that their forces are crippled, we must

  strike and uproot them completely.”

  The king of Lagash responded with skepticism.

  “Kish itself has suffered heavy losses. And I have heard that King

  Gilgamesh’s true strength surpasses even that of his five generals. Would it

  not be wiser to propose an armistice instead?”

  The king of Lursag shook his head.

  “I have invested greatly in intelligence on Uruk. Gilgamesh is not a man who

  will abandon conquest. He has issued a total mobilization decree, pouring

  everything into this war. I am told he does not care in the slightest for the

  suffering of his people.”

  The king of Nippur nodded in agreement.

  “With two of the enemy generals dead, the timing is favorable. And we have

  the heroes with us, do we not?”

  All eyes turned toward the five siblings.

  Azael rose to speak.

  “Kings, Gilgamesh’s ambitions are not so simple. He hunts not only humans,

  but gods as well, stealing their power. His ultimate goal is not to rule as an

  emperor, but to become a god himself.”

  The kings and their generals began to murmur among themselves.

  The king of Kish spoke in a low voice.

  “Then it is decided… War seems unavoidable. Supreme Commander Namur-Bel,

  prepare for the siege of Uruk.”

  In the end, the four kings also nodded their assent.

  The generals and officials moved on to detailed discussions of war

  preparations, while the kings, worn by stress and fatigue, withdrew from the

  chamber.

  When the agenda concluded, the five siblings dispersed to take some rest.

  Azael headed outside the palace, toward the apothecary, to seek out Shara.