This is the third in the Prophecy trilogy and therefore may not make much sense if you haven't read Power of the Pharaoh or Vicious Circle. For those that are raring to go I promise this one will not be as dark as Vicious Circle and more along the lines of Power of the Pharaoh, as in a good old hero fic but better and still with plenty of suspense.
Enjoy and as always please review, but be nice :-)
DECLARAION: - I do not own Yu-gi-oh or any of the associated characters but this story is my own work written and produced by Cathrath. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without the written consent of Cathrath. If you should see this story posted anywhere other than FanFiction .net or under any other name it has been stolen so please notify the author. I repeat I do not own Yu-gi-oh so please don't sue me I just like writing fan fic's.
Pharaohs and Gods Part 3 of Prophecy
Chapter 1 – Beginnings
The desert holds many secrets. The greatest of all is the mystery of time, for a desert is a master of time. In a blink of an eye a city, once the centre of a civilisation can be buried without a trace and in a thousand years be uncovered in all its glory as though only a few moments have passed.
Some events of time can be foreseen through past history and prediction but others can be seen through the divine gift of sight. Those that possess the sight are called Seers. Now some think of these Seers as messengers from the Gods, others see them as the Gods themselves in disguise. Whichever may be true, the fact remains that the knowledge they impart comes at a price.
Light reflected off the old woman's face as she gazed into the fire. What she saw within the flickering flames made partial if broken sense. She saw glimmers of the future, those that it affected and choices and sacrifices that would be made. She needed time to make sense of it all, but time was something she was fast running out of. Events were already in motion, the final battle approaching. One thing she knew for certain was that 'he' was coming and she needed to be ready.
A small boy with almost white shoulder length hair played beside the washing pool. He looked up at hearing his name called from the house behind him.
"Ryou, it's getting dark, time to come inside."
"In a minute father," he called back in disappointment.
It had been a nice day, hot enough to be given rare permission to play in the cool water of the washing pool. Ryou liked it when he was allowed to play in the water. Normally he would be scolded for getting in the way but no one had stopped him today. Reluctantly he gathered up his toys and turned towards the house. As he did so a long dark shadow engulfed him and he froze. Quickly he spun round and cried out in surprise, dropping his toys in the process. A heavily cloaked man, sitting astride a tall powerful horse, stood behind him. Ryou hadn't heard him approach and stumbled back in fear as the figure loomed over him. Hearing Ryou's cry of alarm his father appeared once more in the doorway of the house.
"Ryou are you alright?" he cried out to his son as he ran forward.
Ryou shivered in the sudden shade of the man's shadow but reassured his father he was unhurt.
"I'm fine father," he said as he was helped back to his feet and checked over for sign of injury by his concerned father.
Assured his son was unhurt Ryou's father turned his attention to the stranger, pushing his son protectively behind him. Ryou peered round his father. He didn't like this man. There was something evil about him, something that gave him a feeling he couldn't quite place.
"Can I help you?" Ryou's father asked firmly as he held his son protectively. The fact he couldn't see the strangers face beneath the hood unnerved him.
"The Seer, where can I find her?" a gruff voice echoed from the depths of the hood.
The urgency in the man voice sparked curiosity in Ryou's father and he looked hard at the stranger. He could just make out a shadow of a face beneath the hood and a few locks of white hair but nothing more. The identity of the man was a mystery.
"Answer me."
The menacing tone to the stranger's voice confirmed the father's suspicion that this stranger was dangerous. The man reeked of evil and he wanted him away from his home and his son as fast as possible. Quickly he pointed in the direction he would need to go.
"Follow that road to the far side of the village. The old woman lives in a small hut off from the main track."
Without a word but with a somewhat uncharacteristic nod of thanks, which revealed more of the long white spiky hair, the horseman turned his horse and left. Ryou's father let out an explosive breath and held his son tighter as he watched the man go.
"I didn't like that man," Ryou said quietly.
His father nodded as he gratefully turned back to their house.
"No Ryou neither did I."
The furious banging of the door as it was flung open did not startle or surprise the old woman as she continued to stare into the fire. She had been expecting him.
"Most people knock," she said in a sarcastic voice.
"You know why I am here old woman."
She turned to look at the tall figure dressed in a long dark travel cloak that stood in her doorway.
"Yes, I know why you're here and I know who you are, Ring Guardian."
He stalked into the room and dropped himself into the chair opposite the woman, his legs splayed over the arms.
"Good, now tell me what I want to know and I won't kill you."
She gave a snort of disgust.
"You really believe it's that simple?"
"Yes."
"I don't like you Bakura and with good reason. You have no thoughts about what your actions will mean for others."
"I don't have to explain myself to you old woman."
"No, but I know you seek revenge for the death of your family."
Bakura showed no sign of surprise at the Seer's knowledge of his past, after all that's what Seers did. He leaned forward, shadows flicked on his face in the dim firelight.
"My family was murdered by a coward hiding behind a title and position. I want my revenge and I don't care how I get it."
The old woman shook her head in sorrow.
"I understand your anger Bakura, but in your thirst for revenge you seek to punish the innocent, those that were not responsible for the atrocities you suffered."
Bakura eyes flaming as he suddenly stood his fists clenched.
"Their hands are just as blood stained, as if they had held the swords themselves. They became responsible through association."
He threw himself back into the chair and fixed his stare on the fire.
"Look woman don't try my patience. I may no longer possess the millennium ring but its power still connects me and it's been telling me to come to you. Do you have the answers I seek or am I to make you yet another 'innocent' casualty?"
The Seer looked up at Bakura unconcerned by the threat. Her instructions were clear. She would help him, give him the knowledge he sought but not without giving it to others as well. Bakura was only a small part of this.
"You've grown hard Bakura."
"Spare me the sympathy angle. I don't need your pity, just information. Will you tell me what I seek?"
"Yes, but not because you demand it, it is time for the knowledge to be passed on. Things have come full circle."
Bakura leaned back in his chair his eyes focused intently on the old woman, the Seer he had searched so hard to find. She did not meet his stare but glanced at the fire once again.
"There are many tales told of the desert, many legends and stories told of cities and people who have been claimed by the great sea of sand. One lesser-known story tells of a city almost a thousand years ago, once the centre of our empire. The people of this great city paid homage to the Gods and respected the desert around them. Such was their devotion that three lesser Gods, Slifer the Sky Dragon, Obelisk the Tormentor and The Winged Dragon of Ra, gave their own powers as a gift and crafted them into the form of seven sacred items. Two of these items had power over the soul and were crafted into the shapes of an ankh and golden ring. Two others had power over the mind and took the shape of a winged rod and golden eye. A fifth, shaped like a set of scales, had the power to judge the soul and the sixth, a necklace, had the power to look into the past and future. Each item bore the combined symbol of the gods, an all seeing eye. Each item could be used individually but in combination the power became one. This combined power could be accomplished through a seventh item, an inverted pyramid. In the right hands this item harnessed the very power of the Gods themselves. The Gods gifted six of these items to each of their High Priests. The seventh remained in the temple, waiting to be claimed by one who the Gods believed worthy."
"Yes, yes I know all this", Bakura said in frustration.
The Seer gave him a stern look.
"Without patience or understanding you will never find what you seek."
Bakura gave a frustrated sigh and leaned back into the chair.
"For many years the people lived in harmony and used the power of the six items for good. The seventh item continued to remain unclaimed although many tried. Now, as with many that taste power, the Priests became greedy and soon the power they had been given was not enough. They wanted more, the power of the seventh item but only the three Gods themselves could grant the power locked within it. The Priests summoned the Gods and demanded that the power be released to them. However, the Gods saw their greed and refused. Growing ever more desperate the Priests turned their anger against the people they were meant to serve and protect. This betrayal angered the Gods and they descended from the heavens to punish the Priests, but it was a trap. The Priests turned the Gods own power against them and used the items against their creators."
Bakura leaned forwards suddenly interested. This was what he had travelled across the desert for.
"The items suppressed the will of Slifer, Obelisk and Ra and trapped them in three small stone tablets. The Priests had been clever. Once trapped the Gods free will would be removed and their powers could be used by anyone who wielded a sacred item. However, this was still not enough to sate the Priests thirst for power. There were six of them and only three tablets. The war that followed lasted only a few days but the outcome was devastating. Many died, Priest and innocent alike, until only three remained. As victors they claimed the spoils of war, namely the God tablets, but the price of victory had been high. The Priests called forth the Gods from their confinement, demanding that they release their power. The Gods, horrified at what their priests had done, resolved that the evil they had created would spread no further. In a final effort they called on the last of their free will and combined their power to destroy the three remaining Priests. Once their power was spent the Gods returned to their stone prisons and fell dormant."
"This is a fascinating tale old woman but are you going to get to the point any time soon?"
"Patience is a virtue you seem to be without guardian, but yes I am," the old woman said as she turned away from the fire.
"The war destroyed everything, the city, its people, all gone in a matter of days. No one remained, or so it seemed. One family, in a city of thousands, survived. A young temple servant and his family had sheltered in the catacombs under the temple during the fighting. When they emerged they found their home and way of life destroyed. It was by chance that they found the three stone tablets, abandoned in the temple along with the bodies of the Priests. The seventh item was found in the grasp of a Priest who had tried to use its power. He had failed as others had before him, unworthy of the power it contained. Disgusted that such a person should be holding so sacred an item the young man took the pyramid. At his touch the item activated. Realising his destiny as the first true guardian of the item the young man resolved that such an abuse of the Gods power should never come to pass again. He took charge of the remaining six items and buried the three stone tablets containing the Gods essence deep in the temple catacombs. Then to prevent either the items or the tablets coming in contact again the faithful servant and his family left the ruins to disappearing into the desert. The city itself was lost to the desert over time and to this day has never been found. It is said that the items have been claimed many times over the years by many worthy bearers. There are some currently who may be considered unworthy."
She paused in her narrative to look at Bakura.
"I told you, I'm not interested in your opinion old woman," he said in a dangerous tone.
His expression turned to one of frustration.
"Is that it?" he said exasperated.
She shook her head.
"I know what you came for guardian and no that is not 'it' as you eloquently put it."
"To this day the young temple servants descendants still guard the secrets of the 'millennium items' as they came to be known. You yourself have met these descendants."
She gave a toothy smile in Bakura's direction.
"How is Marik? I would have thought he would have been here as you two are reputed to be partners."
"Where is the city?" Bakura asked bluntly avoiding her question.
The old woman shook her head. She knew Bakura didn't trust anyone, especially Marik and she wondered if Bakura was ready to face the consequences of what he planned to release on the world. What she didn't know was how this all would end now that the wheels were set in motion. She had seen events up to a point but there was more and she knew that when the time came Marik would have a choice to make. His choice would decide the final outcome. Bakura's insistent voice pulled her from her thoughts.
"Well, answer me."
"I don't know. The secret remains with the guardians."
Bakura suddenly stood.
"What do you mean you don't know? What use is this knowledge if the location of the city has been lost? Have you been wasting my time?"
"Getting angry with me won't help. The whereabouts of the three God tablets has been lost over time and beyond my power to see but the knowledge still lies, whether realised or not, with the guardians."
The air was filled with the sharp metallic rasp of a sword being pulled from its sheath and in a matter of seconds Bakura had the blade pressed to the side of the old woman's throat.
"TELL ME", he screamed in rage.
However, instead of showing fear the old woman began to laugh, a dry gravelly sound which echoed around the gloom of the room. Bakura was taken back by this.
"You laugh when I have your life in my hands. One flick of my wrist and it's all over, yet you laugh, why old woman?"
The woman's laughter subsided.
"You're a fool Bakura. You would kill me before you have learnt what you came here to discover. I do not know the location of the city but I can put you on the path. These were my instructions."
Bakura gritted his teeth.
"What's to stop me from killing you after?"
Again she chuckled.
"Because even you know that you will need me again. The visions I have seen so far are only the start. There will be others."
Bakura removed his sword with a huff of frustration and threw himself into the chair once more.
"Then tell me and let us be done".
"I will tell you everything you need to know but not because I serve you. I serve another purpose and it is far greater than anything you can comprehend. The time for the Gods to come into the light once again is approaching and it is for this reason and this reason alone I give this information to you."
At the promise of the information he truly sought Bakura sat forward again.
"Anyone bearing a millennium item can use the tablets but only one person can find them and bring them into the light of day once again."
"You will tell me where I can find this one", Bakura said in a menacing voice.
The Seer smiled again.
"To find your answers seek the one who has lived twice at the highest point in Egypt."
A cruel and evil smile crossed Bakura's face in understanding. Bakura hated riddles and normally would have buried his dagger in the woman's heart for being clever with him. However, not this time. This riddles meaning he understood.
"That won't be a problem," he said with a cold chuckle.
He knew who he needed and he knew where to find him. It was ironic. His revenge was at hand and nothing would stop him this time.
Well that's chapter one of this long awaited sequel. Its more to set the scene so don't worry if some the cryptic bits didn't make sense all will be explained in later chapters. In fact this chapter was going to be a prologue but it didn't quite work.