(Ereshgal POV)
Shit.
I didn't think this through. Of course he would notice. He always does. Ishtal has a habit of catching every detail, no matter how small. How could he not realize I wasn't breathing? I should've faked it. At least move my chest. Pretend.
The sword was still at my neck. His usual smile was gone now, replaced by that steady, patient stare of his, the kind that waits just long enough to see what you'll do next.
And where had the sword even come from? I hadn't seen it when I walked in. He made it appear out of nowhere.
"I don't know" I said, without moving.
"That's not possible" he said, pressing the blade a little deeper. A thin line of blood ran down my neck.
"I woke up three days ago" I said. "Kisaya found me. Apparently, it's been five years since the last thing I remember. When I came to, I wasn't breathing and my heart wasn't beating."
His eyes narrowed. I didn't move. Fighting here would be pointless, even if Kisaya and I could take him, Sippar would have more chosen waiting, and we'd lose; in the worst case we'd die.
"Haha… it's impressive how you said that nonsense with a straight face."
His laugh never reached his eyes, and the blade never left my skin.
"Tell me the truth" he said, voice flat again, "unless you want to leave here without a head."
"It's the truth" I said. "Call Kisaya if you want and ask her."
"That's what you're counting on, isn't it?" His voice had gone cold. "You think she'll defend you because she believes you're my brother. Her reaction yesterday gave it away."
He sighed—tired, but sure of himself. "She's a problem… but one I can handle."
Then, calm but sharp: "Call her." The sword stayed where it was.
"Kisaya!" I shouted.
She was through the door in seconds. The moment her eyes took us in—the sword at my neck, the line of blood—she traced a rune; energy flared around her legs, the spear cleared her back, and leveled at his throat in one smooth motion.
"Ishtal, I'll only say this once: remove that sword. Right now."
His eyes widened, his posture shifting for the first time, shoulders tense, breath caught, a flicker of doubt breaking through the calm. I could even hear his heartbeat quicken, sharp and uneven, though moments ago he'd been perfectly composed.
After a brief pause, he pulled the blade back. The sting along my neck closed almost at once. His gaze lingered where the wound had been for a heartbeat before rising to meet mine again.
He glanced at Kisaya as he sat back down, setting the sword on the table as if nothing had happened. "I didn't expect you to deepen your pact again so soon."
Kisaya moved to my side, the spear still pointed at him. She didn't answer.
If it weren't for Ennari, I'd already be gone. But I have to get her out of here, away from this lunatic.
Ishtal lifted his cup, let out a quiet sigh, then asked calmly, "and how are you so sure this is Ereshgal and not a skinwalker?"
I frowned.
"He's not" Kisaya said, without hesitation. "He has abilities a skinwalker wouldn't, and he can use spiritual energy."
His eyes widened again. "Today is full of surprises." He swirled the cup lightly. "But clearly, he's no longer human. There's no proof it's really him."
"It's Ereshgal" Kisaya snapped. "I'm sure of it."
Ishtal looked at her, then at me. He exhaled slowly. "I wish I could be as sure as you." An uneasy silence lingered before he added "but.. if you don't convince me, you won't see a single trace of Ennari."
"How?" I asked, the word edged with frustration.
He raised his empty hand. For a moment, spiritual energy shimmered around the ring on his finger, and then, an orb appeared in his palm.
Once again, something appeared out of nowhere, just like the sword. The ring must be a divine artifact, something that lets him summon things at will.
"The Solar Truth Orb. If you can wield spiritual energy, you can use it." He smirked, as if already expecting me to refuse.
That was the divine artifact Kisaya had mentioned, the one that reacted to truth.
"Sure" I said, smiling back.
"I just need to channel spiritual energy into it, right?" She had already told me how their toy worked.
His expression hardened, and he gave a small nod.
I reached out. The orb felt smooth and solid against my palm. I let my spiritual energy flow into it.
The instant it touched, the orb flooded with color: deep, blood-red, moving.
Ishtal frowned.
"Is there a problem?" I asked.
"No… just that no god has that color of spiritual energy. It doesn't exist."
"Kisaya said the same. Are you sure?" I asked. The unease in my voice was real.
He shook his head, serious. "As you know, the color of one's spiritual energy is tied to the god with whom you formed your pact. Gods with similar concepts share similar colors."
Watching the orb as if it might answer him, Ishtal spoke. "I know gods with red energy, Ninurta and Gibil. War; fire." He looked up at me. "But your red… it's different."
He took a moment, searching for the right word. "It looks alive, the way it moves inside the orb… like living blood."
I lowered my gaze. He wasn't wrong. The red didn't glow, it moved, spreading through the orb in slow, rhythmic waves, as if it were breathing.
"Well, no matter" he said, as if the problem would wait its turn. "We'll find answers eventually. Let's begin."
His expression shifted. "What are you?"
"I don't know" I answered. The orb held the red, unchanged.
"Who are you?" He asked.
"Ereshgal, son of Lugalbanda and prince of Uruk" I said, lifting my chest with quiet pride.
The red remained, beating softly against itself.
Ishtal took a moment, eyes fixed on me before speaking. "Lie to me for this next one" he said. "I need to confirm it works with your energy." He paused. "Are you here alone?"
"Yes."
For a breath, nothing changed. Then the red dulled, thickened, and sank into black. The whole sphere went dark.
Ishtal sighed in relief. The corner of Kisaya's mouth twitched—told you—while the spear stayed aimed at him.
He rubbed his eyes with finger and thumb, then set the cup aside. "Alright" he said. "Tell me everything. I will help you."
Help me? Him? The man who left Uruk and called it reason? Who abandoned his family and duties without a word, and just moments ago held a sword to my throat, ready to take my head?
"No" I said. "Tell me where Ennari is, and we'll take her. That's all."
"And then what?" he asked, not offended, just curious, which was worse. "You'll go to Uruk and do what, exactly?" His eyes flicked toward Kisaya. "You don't know what's happening. She doesn't either. Which means…" He tapped the air once, deliberate. "You need help."
He looked at me again, straight through. "And besides… are you even strong enough to do anything? Can you control your spiritual energy properly?"
I went still. My fists tightened under the table, out of his sight. He'd said what I didn't want to admit.
He was right.
I hated that he was right.
"Why do you want to help me?" I asked.
"You're my brother." He put the same calm smile back on, the one he always wore.
"Do I need a reason to help you?"