As The Sun rose, Gilgamesh descended, running for one hour, deep into the darkness, oppressed by the lightlessness on all sides.
Ever deeper into the darkness he ran, for a second hour, a third, a fourth, a fifth, a sixth and a seventh, running on in utter darkness.
His pounding feet propelled him through the dark depths, the way rising under his feet, but still, no light shone ahead and He cried out in choking fear.
At the ninth hour his heart lightened, for a breeze caressed his face, yet the deep darkness gripped him in its lightless embrace.
For a tenth and eleventh hour, He ran, ever upward, ever seeking the light of the world.
At the twelfth hour, as The Sun plunged toward the Night Cleft, He emerged from the tarry depths into perpetual starry light, dazzling to behold, even as the day he left behind died anew as The Sun drove the Darkness from its lair to cover the lands of men.
He emerged into the gem-tree garden of the gods, ever bathed in the starry lights of the eternal powers.
There were ruby trees, lapis lazuli flowers, palms which fruited coral clusters like dates.
The vary-fruited trees of the gods sparkled along their branches with enormous jewels, emeralds, sapphires, hematite [1], diamonds, carnelians [2] and pearls.
Gilgamesh gazed upward and marveled in awe.
Notes
1. Hematite is a crystallized form of iron ore.
2. Carnelians are a semi-precious red gemstone found in pebble form and also carved into figurines.
