**AUTHOR'S NOTE**
I do not own nor do I claim to own any characters or themes belonging to the anime/manga outside of my OCs and scenarios set forth within. Any resemblance to anything outside is unintentional and coincidental.
All information on Ancient Egypt that is set forth within this story was researched. I do not claim to be an expert on the subject matter. If you would like a list of references/resources I will gladly share them with you.
I hope you enjoy the story.
**AUTHOR'S NOTE**
Dressed in rags and staring up at the clear blue sky, a leg dangled off the edge of the roof of a house. Carelessly swinging it back and forth, the owner of the leg watched the clouds lazily drift above. The breeze ruffled the hood of the cloak that masked its wearer's features as the streets bustled with life below. By the looks of things, it was life as per usual filled with things that just would not matter in the end. The same life roles would play out as they did the eve before. The mundane repetition was far from appetizing.
Raising a hand up, the olive skin stood in contrast to the cerulean of the heavens above. Long fingers spread flat against an imaginary wall, scars and knicks decorated the back of it. A soft sigh slipped from chapped lips as the owner withdrew the hand and sat up. The plan was simple and reckless. To try and cut in on a heist of this proportion was hazardous, danger was evident with a slim chance of success. It was a challenge that was far too tempting to ignore. Smirking, the stranger produced a fig from a leather satchel and bit into the treat.
The room was sparsely decorated, a square chest to the side and a few baskets lining the walls. Though the only source of light was what came from the windows of the adobe building, it was stifling from the arid desert heat. The stagnant air made the spacious dwelling seem more confined. Within the room, a small group of men sat huddled over a map on the floor together near the window. All of the men were dressed similarly in linen shendyt belted at the waist, the exception of one with a rich red flowing robe.
The others silently waited with bated breath as they watched their leader grab his drinking cup. It was a simple clay cup, smoothed inside with the fingers, and the outer surface burnished with a smooth pebble. The rim decoration consisted of two rings of impressed triangles filled with white pigment, creating a pattern of raised black lozenges. Below, a series of triangles and lozenges were filled with short hatched lines that were enhanced with white pigment. Tipping the cup, he drained the dark slightly sweet beer that filled it.
"The plan is set. We will strike at night." He gruffly spoke, looking to the small handful of men that sat with him. "Failure is not an option." He growled the words, his glare striking fear in each of the men present.
"As always," one of the men bravely spoke up with a confident grin."We hardly would have the right to our title if we were unable to pull a simple heist as this. I will bring victory in your name once more, My Tozokuo." He raised his half filled cup before knocking his head back to swallow his promise.
"Your confidence is promising Sese." The deep chuckle from their leader left little ease in the others while Sese's grin only grew at the praise from their king. Grabbing the bottle that sat beside him, he poured himself another glass. "I expect nothing less from you. You all should learn from him."
"But of course Tozokuo," they quickly responded to the reprimand, flinching at the sharpness of his clipped words. Quickly they finished the rest of their drink and rolled up the papyrus that laid bare their plans for anyone to see if they were able to peer in through the second floor window. The gathered men quickly left the room, stirring the sand that had settled. The tiny flecks glittered in sunlight from the disturbance as the men threw on their shawls while their leader threw up his hood. "At the setting of the sun we start." With those last few words, the men scattered into the busy street. Their leader lingered in the courtyard of the house, frowning to himself. His sharp eyes scanned the surrounding area, turning back to the building to find nothing out of place. It was as vacant as they had found it, as it should be when they were not its occupants. Tugging his hood, he lowered his head as he walked into the crowd.
The stranger peeked over the edge of the roof, watching the crimson hood shrink into the distance. The fact he had picked up on someone watching him was a bit of a shock, but it only made this even more thrilling. Biting into another fig the cloaked stranger rose from the hiding spot, leisurely climbing down the wooden ladder that was the means of getting to and from the roof. Glancing to either side to make sure no one of worry was watching, the little spy turned in the opposite direction of the leader and head off to the next destination.
As the sun began to set, the crowded streets slowly became empty. The merchants closed their shops, storing their wares, and shutting their doors to settle in for the night. The children quickly ran home, wanting avoid the troubles that lurked in the darkness. Not a soul was visible in the town as the moon began to rise and the cool night giving some relief from the oppressive temperatures of the day. The usually silent night was broken by the festivities that took place in the home of the local elite at the center of the village.
The large house was lit up inside and out, torches and oil lamps burning brightly against the shadows that enshrouded them all. Lively sounds of merriment could be heard from within as the banquet carried on. A long table was filled with a variety of dishes, some that even included beef while others were of mutton and pork; with copious amounts of beer. The wealthiest of the group were seated in chairs and the lesser on stools as the servants rushed about to make sure the guests were well cared for. Scented cones were lit to perfume the room for a warm welcome while others were lit to deter the insects to minimize any nuisances that would disturb the festivities.
The sounds of laughter and chatter echoed in the estate as the party continued well into the night, the guests enjoying the beer and food to the heart's content. The only hush came when the host of the evening loudly clapped his hands and stood from his seat among the wealthier group.
"I do not wish to take too much of your time, but the entertainment has finally arrived! Please, continue to eat and drink while enjoying tonight's show!" He raised his hands into the air and the crowd gave a lively cheer in response, raising their cups as musicians filed into the room. Clothed in crisp linen they set up in a corner with their flutes, lutes, and harps. Once settled, they began to play; summoning women from the other room dressed in cloaks. As they all came into line before everyone, they discarded the covers to expose their nude bodies decorated with tattoos, gold with brightly colored toned jewelry, and oiled with sweet perfume. Smiling, they glittered in the lit room much to everyone's joy at the sultry dances they performed to the music. Enraptured by the beauties that moved with such grace, none of the rich realized as one of the musicians slipped away from the group. A servant had caught the motion and quickly slipped away as well.
"Sese, you are finally here! I was worried the plan was to go to ruin and my head would be in danger!" He hissed as the musician washed away the clay in his hair to reveal its natural brown color.
"Patience Seth, there was a bit of trouble on the way is all. The musician gave more of a fight than we had expected. That's hardly a matter now though," he chuckled as he fingered the blade hidden under his shendyt. "Now, where are our deliveries?" Seth scowled at the carefree air of Sese, but quickly turned and led the way. They rushed to the back door, the fear of being caught minimal if at all with all the help busy with the feast.
"Here they are," he motioned to the large baskets that were nicely lined along the stairs.
"Perfect," Sese leapt down to the ground with Seth in tow. The two began to tap on all of the baskets three time, each starting from opposite ends and meeting in the middle. Seeing that no one of concern came, Seth let out a whistle and the suddenly the baskets began to stir and shake. One by one the tops came off as people emerged from within. Carefully they stepped out, a total of ten men aside from Sese and Seth until the final basket was opened and all of them bowed to the grey haired male who rose from within. Even in the moonlight, his sharp lavender-gray eyes struck fear into anyone who saw them. The four-stitched scar under his right eye was known far and wide, the man who bore it feared by anyone smart enough to know what it meant; The Bandit King Bakura.
"Took your time did you Sese?" He grunted as he walked towards the bowed brunette.
"There was a small pest but that was handled, my apologies Tozokuo Bakura."
"As long as we come victorious, I will forgive your delay." He turned to the other men and then to the house behind them. A wicked grin found its way across his face as he saw just how close they were to their score. "These useless rich bastards, do not have a clue what is truly in store." The men behind him rose as he raised a hand into the air. At the snap of his fingers, they all quickly made their way into the house behind Sese to get in formation as Seth led Bakura towards the main hall.
A maid, who silently watched the events unfold, hid behind a pillar as they walked down the hall. Her eyes never left their backs as she silently stalked them like a cat as she shadowed Bakura to the main hall. Slipping into another hall, she entered the main room through the other door. No one noticed the men that hid in the shadows. No one noticed the tall muscular figure that loomed in the opposite doorway. Glancing around the room, she looked for something before dropping the pitcher of water in her hands. She let out a blood curdling scream as she pointed to Bakura and Seth.
"Thieves, there are thieves! It's the Bandit King himself!" She shrieked at the tops of her lungs, the musicians halting as the dancers stumbled, everyone turning to see where she was pointing.
"What is the meaning of this? Do not scream such nonsense!" The host growled, turning to the maid but she was no longer beside the shattered jug while Bakura cursed under his breath. Everything had been going perfectly until the woman had spotted them. Seth's face had gone pale at the sudden shriek, turning to his leader who was clearly unamused by the deviation.
The bitch will die at my hands if this mission is failed because she was unable to keep her mouth shut. He stepped into the light of the hall, his signature crimson robe catching the eyes of the others and instantly fear struck everyone in the room. The happiness before was now replaced with terror at his coming. His men revealed themselves, stopping anyone from escaping as they captured those that tried to run. The dancers and musicians huddled in a corner, cowering in fear in hopes to be ignored by the brutes that now controlled the party. He watched the chaos that ensued, smirking with such satisfaction until he no longer could contain his laughter from the joy of the storm he brought.
"Gather what you can men! Leave nothing of value!" Bakura's voice echoed in the symphony of cries, the men laughing along with him. Though they had been outed by a maid, it still had not thrown off their plan. They would be victorious. Walking to the table, he grabbed a leg of roasted pig and bit into the flesh as he made his way along the table to enjoy the feast in all the mess that went on around him. Grabbing a cup of beer, he drained it in one swig and let out a heavy sigh of satisfaction before slamming his foot down onto the hand of the host who tried to crawl away. "Now where do you think you are going?" He hummed at the shaking man. He scoffed at the whimpers that came from the man when he noticed something and suddenly he was throwing his head back in laughter. "So scared you pissed yourself? How does that make you anything better than a mutt?" He sneered, grabbing the man by his hair and yanking him up on to his knees.
"P-please, anything! I shall give you anything you desire! Take the women or the men, I do not care! Spare my life!" The host quickly agreed, twisting and writhing in pain as his hair was tugged harshly once more.
"Oh ho, I can have anything you say?" He hummed at the words. "How generous of you, where is your prized pendant?" Bakura simply asked, his eyes locked with the wide-eyed man he now had at his mercy. "The real pendant, not this fake you have on." He flicked the necklace the man had on. Stuttering out his words, he quickly disclosed the location of the item. "Seth, fetch the necklace. You best not be lying to me." He tossed the man aside. "Tie him up with the others, we will see what his information reveals."
"And what of the others? We have taken everything of value on them." Sese spoke up from beside Bakura.
"Kill the ones that will not shut up. I am sick of hearing their blubbering. Leave the musicians and dancers, perhaps we can have entertainment of our own." He smirked, eyeing the women who shook with fear. "You entertain me well enough and I will spare your worthless lives." The band and dancers quickly nodded their heads in approval just as the the shriek of someone echoed in the room as a splatter of red stained the the floor.
"You heard the Tozokuo, you continue your pathetic whimpering and we kill you one by one. Now, please do keep it up. My blade is so very cold and would love to be warmed by the heat of your blood." Sese cackled, the tip of his blade pressed under the chin of a woman. Breathlessly she pled for her life, closing her eyes tightly as she silently prayed to every god and goddess she knew to be saved from the hands of the bandits.
"I have it!" Seth's voice broke the tension in the air, everyone visibly relieved that the host had given the actual location of the jewel. "I found these with it as well." Seth produced more for Bakura to inspect. Taking a seat in the head chair, he carefully checked over what Seth had brought for him.
"You have done well Seth, Sese you can withdraw your blade for now." He casually spoke, unfazed by the bleeding body that was among them. "Come, sit and enjoy the feast. If any of you dare to even breath in the wrong way, I will end you. So please, struggle with all your worthless might. I do love a good chase."
"As you wish," Sese nodded his head as he sheathed his sword. "You, wench, tend to Our Tozokuo!" He pointed to a veiled woman among the servants. "You, begin to entertain us!" As the men came together around the table to eat, the band quickly began to play once more and the dancers tried their best to perform as perfectly as possible. "Did you not hear me woman?" Sese growled, turning to glare at the woman but she was already on her feet. "Answer when you are spoken to!" He snapped, slamming his fist on his table.
"You needn't be bothered by her, she is a mute." Seth answered before Sese could do anymore as he noted him about to rise from his seat. "It is better that way, we will not have to deal with her grating sounds."
"A mute? What luck indeed, well wench you best work quick or I will have your useless head as a trophy." Bakura coldly spoke, his glare leveling on the hidden woman as she began to tend to him with due diligence. Her hands shook as she tried her best to not make any mistakes as the festivities continued with such a twist. As she noticed the beer was running out, she quickly ran to fetch another bottle that was cooled in water for them. As she ran to head back down, she tripped on her own feet and came falling into Bakura's lap. His eyes widened at the sudden weight on his body, a growl rumbling in his chest when he noticed something rare. Her veil only lifted slightly to reveal her peculiar green eyes for a brief moment. The men jumped up from their seat at the sudden contact with their leader, brandishing their weapons. She quickly scrambled off of his lap and bowed deeply for forgiveness, her forehead practically touching the floor.
"You grovel well for a mute," Bakura muttered as he drank the beer that was brought. "And this is well chilled, I will spare you this time. One more wrong move and I will slowly start to chop away at this frail body of yours. Do you understand?" She mutely nodded her head and rose to her feet.
"Such a nuisance, not a sound at all! Shall we tie a bell on you and see if that will help? Find me someone that is not defective!" He growled, knocking the maid away with the back of his hand as Seth beckoned a pretty one who quickly shot up and took over the veiled woman's place. Seeing that she was no longer needed, she slipped back into the crowd only to slip out the window. Discarding the shawl she had to hide her face, she rubbed her cheek as she casually strolled out the front door and down the front ramp.
"Damn, that fucker knows how to hit. Ah, but it was well worth it." She smirked as she pulled out the necklace that the men had come for. "I suppose they should be realizing it...right...about...now." She stood in the front courtyard, glancing over her shoulder as commotion began rise inside once more and a shout was heard. She laughed as the men ransacked the building in search for her. She pulled out her cloak she had hidden in one of the baskets in the front courtyard, the necklace secured around her neck. Casually she strolled to the stable and found her horse. "Did you miss me? Do not worry, we are heading home now." She pet the stallion and gave it a kiss before mounting him. Trotting out around front, she glanced at the house once more only to see the Bandit King at the front door, livid as he looked all over the courtyard until he spotted her and something glittering around her neck. What really caught his attention were her eyes, the same green of the mute servant wench.
"You," he seethed as she gave him coquettish smile and wink. "You bitch!" She laughed as he came running towards her but was only met with dust as she urged her horse into a gallop.
"Thank you for the gift 'oh great Bandit King'! I will cherish it always!" The sound of her voice echoed in his mind as he watched her disappear into the night, setting his blood boiling as his anger flared to new heights. No one man had ever made a fool of him since he was a boy and now here he was bested by a woman.
"I will find you and I will make you pay!" He hissed to himself as he glared into the dark where she set off to.
