Ziusudra slipped away from the cacophony of war, clutching the map Elpenor had entrusted to him. His destination was clear—his sister Nidaba. As he approached the mountain range, a plume of thick, ominous smoke coiled into the sky. The sight froze him for a moment, his heart pounding in his chest. Fear clawed at him, and he broke into a sprint, his steps instinctively quickening until he far outpaced the soldier who had accompanied him.

The hill Nidaba had been using as her refuge came into view, stark against the smoky horizon. But the smoke wasn’t rising from her hill—it drifted farther out. A glimmer of hope urged him forward. Reaching out to the earth with his magic, Ziusudra coaxed the ground to reveal the hidden entrance of her base. The heavy door shifted open with a low groan, and he stepped inside.

Nidaba, startled by the intrusion, reacted swiftly. A weapon was already in her hands, poised to strike, when she saw him framed in the entrance. Her expression collapsed into shock before joy  she dropped the weapon with a clatter. In an instant, she crossed the space between them, throwing her arms around Ziusudra. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed, her voice trembling, "I thought I’d never see you again."

Ziusudra held her tightly, relief coursing through him, though it was tinged with the weight of everything left unsaid. When she finally let go, he looked her in the eye. “Nidaba,” he began, his voice steady but gentle. Before he could say more, Isabeli emerged from the shadows of the base. Her steps were cautious, but her face softened into a warm smile.

“hello,” she greeted, her voice carrying a calm reassurance. “It’s good to see you again.”

He nodded, offering her a small smile in return. “It’s good to see you too,” he said. “It seems you are doing far better than the last time—back when we pulled you from the eldritch beast.”

A moment of silence hung between them, heavy with shared memories. Ziusudra exhaled quietly, the chaos of the war outside momentarily forgotten in the quiet sanctuary of reunion.

Reuniting with Ziusudra’s group filled Elpenor with a mix of anticipation and trepidation, but the moment his eyes met Nidaba’s, every worry melted away. Without hesitation, they rushed toward each other, their arms entwining in a fierce embrace. For a heartbeat, the world faded away, leaving only the warmth of her presence.

“I’ve waited so long to see you again,” Elpenor said, his voice thick with emotion. He gazed into her eyes, the unspoken weight of separation visible in her weary expression. Nidaba’s voice trembled as she replied, “I’ve thought about you every day this past month, hoping you were safe—praying I’d see you again.”

The hardships she’d endured seemed to dissolve in that moment, her suffering given meaning by his return. As the space between them closed and their lips inched closer, Ziusudra’s sharp voice cut through the tender atmosphere.

“You two need to wait. We still have a war to win,” Ziusudra said, exasperation written on his face. Elpenor turned to him, a lopsided grin breaking his serious demeanor. “Give us five more minutes,” he pleaded, though he knew it was futile.

Ziusudra folded his arms, his expression unyielding. “No, we’re going now—or I’ll have Enkidu delay your wedding if you don’t hurry.”

At that, Nidaba and Elpenor both stiffened. “No, no! We’ll hurry,” they said in unison. Their rushed reply seemed to amuse Ziusudra, though his stern exterior remained intact.

Before leaving to aid the captain in reclaiming Utu from the Mertu brothers, Elpenor turned back to Nidaba one last time. He pulled a marriage knot from his pouch, the woven strands symbolic of their shared promise. Pressing it gently into her hands, he said, “I can’t wait until this war is over and I can spend more time with you.”

With that, he tore himself away, the promise of a future together lending strength to his steps as he strode toward his next mission.

Elpenor stood at the gates of Utu, the air thick with smoke and heat as fires raged across the streets. It looked as if the earth itself was devouring the roads, coal embers lighting the chaos. He surveyed the eerie sight, his gut churning with unease. Turning to the soldiers following him, he warned, "If you feel a sudden drop in temperature, step away. That’s the earth’s sign that the ground is about to collapse."

Their advance was slow and methodical, extinguishing coal fires as they moved through Utu. The tension weighed heavily on Elpenor's chest. By the time they reached the palace, their resolve sharpened to a knife’s edge. Slipping inside, shadows swallowed their movement as they crept toward the queen’s chamber.

Inside, a sinister tableau unfolded before their hidden eyes. The Mertu brothers and the eldritch beast stood near the queen, their conversation dripping with malice. The queen’s voice trembled as she admitted she had failed to locate the girl the Mertu brothers had taken from the Villa. The beast responded with venom, declaring, "I paid for the girl. She belongs to me. If I don’t get her, you’ll be my slave." Elpenor’s teeth clenched as rage boiled in his veins.

The eldritch beast continued, bragging that his servants in Ankhubek, Nimrud, Yarden, Hijaz, and all of Massitti had faltered far less than those in Utu. Then, the creature spat, "I want the woman that Elpenor protects." Those words ignited a flame within him.

Without hesitation, Elpenor turned to one of the soldiers and whispered sharply, "Give me the barrier spell null." The soldier handed it over, and Elpenor hurled the spell with unrelenting force at the queen, encasing her in a protective stone barrier. The spell null absorbed the magical energy in the room.

Straightening, Elpenor stepped into the chamber, his voice dripping with a psychotic edge as he snarled at the beast, "Could you repeat that?"

The eldritch beast’s expression twisted into a mask of fear and horror. With a sharp command, he screamed, "Kill him!" The first Mertu brother charged, dagger gleaming in the dim light. With deadly precision, Elpenor flung him into the wall; the dagger embedded itself into his neck, and his lifeless body crumpled to the ground in seconds.

The second brother approached slowly, gripping twin swords tightly. Elpenor sheathed his own weapon, rushing forward bare-handed. A swift, brutal strike shattered one sword, his grip snapping the brother’s arms out of their sockets before breaking his neck. The body hit the floor, lifeless and limp.

The eldritch beast let out a guttural roar, backing away from Elpenor’s unyielding gaze. "You’ve betrayed me you wrech of a woman!" the beast shrieked at the queen as he burst through a wall in his desperate attempt to escape. Elpenor threw the barrier spell null at the creature’s leg, the stone embedding itself deep into its flesh. Yet, the beast managed to shatter the final wall and disappeared into the chaos outside.

The stone barrier surrounding the queen dissipated, leaving her trembling in shock. Elpenor approached her, his steps slow, his stare sharp with intent. Fear carved lines into her face as he spoke, his voice cold and commanding. "You’re lucky your captain is a good man," Elpenor said, his words slicing the tension in the room. "So I’ll spare you. But your kingdom will be under my rule. Your lands will become my vassal.”

As the dust began to settle, Elpenor stood alongside the captain, surveying the remnants of Utu. With the soldiers’ help, they tirelessly worked to extinguish the fires that had engulfed the roads. The flames had miraculously spared the buildings, as though they were conjured to strike fear rather than cause destruction. Freed slaves emerged from the shadows, liberated from the cruel grasp of the Mertu brothers. Using bricks salvaged from the brothers’ storages, the roads were repaired, paving the way for citizens to return to their rightful homes.

Relief spread through the city, yet Elpenor’s mind remained heavy with the weight of the war still to come. As Enkidu completed healing the final soldier, the three of them—Elpenor, Nidaba, and Enkidu—prepared for a moment of respite. A mule cart carried them to a secluded place, the site of a long-awaited union.

Under the fading light of day, Enkidu turned to them, his voice solemn but warm. “Elpenor, Nidaba, do you vow to remain loyal to one another, even beyond death, in the depths of the underworld?” Both Elpenor and Nidaba answered in unison, their voices unwavering. “Yes.”

Enkidu’s gaze softened as he continued. “Will you help each other grow, and become greater than you stand here today at this altar?”

Once again, they replied, “Yes,” their resolve mirrored in the steady rhythm of their breathing. Enkidu then handed them a white ribbon, its smooth texture cool against Elpenor's palm. “By night’s end, this ribbon should be red by dawn.”

The implications made both Elpenor and Nidaba blush faintly, though they managed a quiet “Yes.” The ceremony continued with a feast that stretched well into the night, filled with laughter, music, and the warmth of friends and allies. It was a brief moment of joy, a temporary oasis amidst the turmoil that surrounded their lives.

As the festivities came to a close, Elpenor and Nidaba retired to the chamber prepared for them by the queen—a space adorned with simplicity and elegance. Together, they sealed their union and shared a quiet moment of connection before sleep overtook them.

Elpenor awoke feeling a rare and serene joy, as though the weight of the world had lifted, replaced with a quiet determination that they could conquer anything together. Beside him, Nidaba stirred, her warmth a comforting presence. Turning to her, he asked softly, "How are you this morning?"

Nidaba nestled closer, a playful smile tugging at her lips as she snuggled into him. "Very loved," she replied with a gentle laugh. Elpenor smiled, his heart full, and murmured, "I feel the same." They shared a quick kiss before the morning pulled them out of bed.

As they dressed, Elpenor asked curiously, "Is there a way to manipulate crystals and gemstones?" Nidaba shook her head thoughtfully. "Not in the way you mean, but they can be grown and shaped." Inspiration flickered to life in Elpenor’s mind. "Could we find one to seal our marriage ribbon into? Something to preserve it—after we prove our marriage to Enkidu."

Nidaba’s expression brightened, her eyes gleaming with fondness. "That’s a lovely idea," she said. With shared excitement, they finished preparing and headed to Enkidu. After presenting their now-red marriage ribbon, Enkidu officially recorded their union.

Their next stop was the bustling Utu market. Elpenor and Nidaba wandered among the stalls, marveling at the display of gemstones—from the deep greens of jade to the brilliant whites of diamonds. Amid their search, they stumbled upon a flame aura quartz that immediately captivated them. Its vivid rainbow patterns danced across the surface, almost alive with color and light.

Without hesitation, they bought the flame aura quartz along with several smaller, less valuable pieces to use as material. Elpenor also picked up gem-cutting tools, intent on shaping the crystal himself. Returning to their space, they grew the marriage ribbon within the quartz. With careful precision, they faceted the crystal into a flawless sphere and polished it until the rainbow patterns burst into dazzling brilliance. God rays emanated from the ribbon encased within, casting shimmering beams of light across the room.

As Elpenor held the finished gemstone in his hands, he felt a profound sense of accomplishment—not just for the gem, but for the shared journey it represented. It was more than an artifact; it was a testament to their bond, their vows, and the life they had begun to build together.