Chapter 1 (Cranberries - Zombie)

Ryou looked sorrowfully at the spot where his master's horse had once stood. The gentle black gelding had been securely fastened, he was sure. That left only one option: the horse had been stolen.

Ryou winced. 'How am I going to explain this?' he thought. 'I'm in so much trouble…'

Ryou turned and began the walk from his master's stableyard to the main house. He had been serving his master ever since he could remember, and yet he still couldn't keep from getting into trouble. If it wasn't the other servants tripping him and hiding his clothes, it was something like this.

'No one else around here could have stolen Jibade, where would they hide him?' Ryou thought as he neared the house. 'And master's been so tense lately; oh, I am in SO much trouble.'

Ryou was trembling as he made his way to his master's room. His master was a very wealthy merchant on the upper Nile valley. Word had reached the town two weeks ago that a large band of thieves had chosen to rest in the desert surrounding the west bank of the Nile. Ever since then his master's belongings had been disappearing. His master was growing more and more nervous about the situation and he had been taking that nervousness out on his own personal errand-boy: Ryou.

A rumor was flying around the town that the thieves were planning a full-scale attack on the master's property. Ryou's shoulder had been dislocated when word had reached his master.

Ryou hung his head and knocked on his master's door.

"Enter….Is my horse ready?" a solemn voice said.

Ryou bowed low and touched his forehead to the floor. "No master."

"Then why are you here, slave! Did I not tell you to ready my horse?"

"The horse- "Ryou choked and tried again. "The horse has been stolen, master."

"WHAT!!"

Ryou winced again as his master stood and began pacing the room, muttering to himself. "The rumors are true then……picking me apart…….any day now…..aaaarrrrrrrgggGGGGHHHHHHH!"

The master abruptly turned on Ryou, hitting him hard and knocking him to the ground. "And you're just going to stand by and let them take what is mine, are you! If they take me you'll be on the streets!" He was unwinding a whip hung at his belt. "Ungrateful son of an ass!"

The whip whistled through the air.

***

Ryou curled up in the stables, hours later. After the whipping his master had insisted that he walk the edge of the property, looking for any signs of the horse or the thieves. Ryou had walked until the sun had set on the desert, and then he had returned to the stables.

'Well, it could have been worse,' Ryou thought dejectedly, 'he could have ordered me to go to the thieves' camp.' He shuddered at the image. 'If my master is this, then imagine how cruel a master to thieves must be.'

Ryou stretched out on the ground, wincing as pebbles scratched against his sore back. 'My master has a whip on his belt at all times, to "ensure the loyalty of his slaves." What kind of weapon do you need to keep thieves in line?' Even though Ryou had to endure his master's cruelty, he was much more afraid of being thrown to the thieves on the streets.

'The thieves will never get past master's guard.' Ryou thought. 'They're all too big…' And with that last thought, Ryou drifted off to sleep.

***

Just out of sight of the town, Bakura waited on his brown mare, while more than fifty thieves waited on their mounts behind him. Bakura was watching the horizon intently as the sun set behind them.

"Any moment now," said a gravelly voice to his left. It was Kemnebi, Bakura's chief informant and right-hand man. He was almost a skeleton on his white stallion, his face obscured by multiple scars and bandages. He was watching the sky intently.

As if from nowhere, a brown dessert hawk swooped from the sky, landing on Kemnebi's shoulder. Kemnebi caught the scroll that fell into his hand and read quickly.

"We're clear." He said. Bakura turned to his men.

"Take them hard and fast. The guard has been increased, but they are only mother's sons. Do not kill unless you must. Bring the servants to me. The valuables, horses, and gold go to the courtyard. The one who brings me the head of the master will have his pick of the lot. Let's ride!"

As one, the horses and their riders charged over the desert.

***

Ryou woke to the sound of shouting voices and kicking hooves. The horse in the closest stall was pitching a fit.

"Hey there, calm down. What's all the…" Ryou stopped as he saw two strange men attempting to lead the horse. Many of the other horses were already gone.

"Well, look at this!" cackled the first man. "A little mouse was asleep in the stables. Who are you?"

Ryou's sleep-muddled mind finally woke. "R-r-r-ryou."

"And what are you doing here!?" shouted the second man.

"I-I-I'm the master's errand boy." Ryou stammered.

The second man laughed. "Well, how do you like that! He keeps his errand boy out in the stables. Why, if he had to send a message, he'd have to wake another servant just to summon you!" The first man laughed at this. "I'll bet he just does it out of spite. Why, we must have a real troublemaker on our hands!" He said.

The second man calmed down a little at this. "Then we'd best secure him. Master Bakura did say to bring the servants to him." The first man nodded, and in no time at all they had Ryou's hands tied.

"We'd best gag him, too, although he has been such a quiet thing."

Ryou stood paralyzed as the first man tilted his head up to fit a gag in his mouth. When the man got a look at his face he froze.

"Brother, look at this!" the first man said. Soon he and his brother were kneeling in front of Ryou, trying to get a look at his face. Ryou stood, trembling.

"It's impossible, Bakura has no heirs." The first brother whispered.

"Forget the horse, Bakura has to see this." The second brother said. "Let's go!"