I do not own anything! Thank you for reading!
Things have changed so much, my past is now my present and my future is now my past. Those I called my friends have become more than miles away from my sight and my new comrades believe me to be closer to them than I believe myself to be. Time has a way of seeming unending, circular in its pattern. I watched from behind the curtains that were drawn around my carriage to my loyal subjects around me. Everything was so different but so similar all at once, startling me in the resemblances.
The soft white silk slid around my ankle. I quietly chuckled at that little of a difference. My complexion, moments ago a pale pearl had become hardened by the sun. There were no pale figures around me; all were as burnt as myself. The sun's heat was nearly unbearable, almost as much as the loose clothing that gathered around my thighs. The leather that once clung to my skin was entirely different from the cotton that was barely there. All of the harsh tones that were whispered in the wind about my sudden arrival in the town square were foreign to my ears. My friend's voices were fragile in comparison to the rough language that surrounded me. My own voice was shaped by my old culture, gruff in its questions.
The questions were never ending, almost rivaling my confusion.
"My pharaoh, we have word from the priest that you are needed at the palace." Mahad was always at my side, something that I sought solace in. His inner self was what gave me the most joy, reminding me of the long days that I spent pulling him from my deck. Our deck, mine and Yugi's. A smile spread across my face, my head nodding. My magician returned my gesture; I am sure he thought my thoughts were on my duties waiting at the palace but he could not have been more wrong.
The curtains settled back around the carrier and I allowed a sigh to slip from my lips. Life had become so strange. I was now in charge of a great nation, ever growing. I no longer had to worry about the threats to my life, soul, or friends. Life was simple, too simple. I did not enjoy sitting in the throne room listening to the fishermen complaining about their run in with my guards. The evil of this land were the rich, my newest companions. The groups in court always failed to impress me with their gifts and bragging. Vying for my attention did not mean it would be granted, especially when the men were so disgusting in nature.
The travel back to the palace took a while, the speed of men was not as fast as that of the mechanics that Yugi had introduced me to. The sudden thought of technology reminded me of the Kaiba brothers. Even Kaiba would have been a welcome addition to this desolate desert. Then again, his personality would only add to the drought plaguing the lands. I laughed again as I heard my men place my step stool onto the ground. I never understood why they refused to place my carrier on the ground and insisted on holding me in the air instead. The only thing they really accomplished by this was adding to my humility. As my foot grazed the silken stool I was surrounded with badgering, shouting complaints. The people tussled me so roughly that my footing was lost, my body toppling to the right.
The bodies that added to my fall all grabbed to avoid my collision with the ground, but they were never able to reach me. I was swiftly removed from their grasp by a pair of soft hands. Oh, the embarrassment was never going to end.
"Excuse me gentlemen, but I must relocate my pharaoh into his chambers. The high priest is rather annoyed by the hour as it is." The woman's firm voice quieted the men, their mouths shutting. She smiled, silencing the sudden flood of questions that rushed onto the men's faces. As she moved the two of us away from the disgruntled group, she began her briefing. "There has been a raid sweeping across the Nile, ransacking villages in its wake. As Ra sets they move swiftly and we have deduced from their silent upward strikes that they are headed for court. We are not sure of their destination time, but we have placed hidden troops in all of the towns that have yet been struck."
She glanced to me, and I nodded. I'd grown accustomed to her head nod. It was how I knew, whether I was listening or not, that she wanted my acknowledgement.
"It had been labeled as a level two, with deaths in the hundreds within the last three suns. It was the night in which most were hit, the deaths a mere fraction of those injured. Over five tens of villages were hit. I have not seen the outcome of this situation in my necklace, but I have a foreboding feeling that this had only begun."
Isis was most definitely Ishizu Ishtar's ancestor, with all of their similar warnings it was hard to believe that Ishizu was reincarnated rather than the idea the woman never died. Just continued to live on, fueled by the future's demise. All of the visions surely would become too much for one woman to have to carry all of her life. I mentally laughed at the thought of the necklace becoming overbearing while the puzzle lay on my chest, the chain connecting me to it for eternity.
3RD P.O.V.
Isis pulled the grand doors to reveal the priest chambers. The intensity of the decorations almost rivaled the young pharaoh's own chambers, something that the rooms should have been proud of. The curtains that were drawn to shut the light out were deep sapphire that let little light illuminate the embroidery of war scenes that matched the golden floors under the trios feet. Aligning the walls were scriptures and monsters that the artists had captured nearly as perfect as the sculptures had been constructed. Each treasure had a story of its own that had a story to tell. The one that caught the pharaoh's attention most was the one that showed the birth of the dark lands. It was the most mysterious and the jagged strokes of artwork looked as if it was captured by Osiris himself.
There was a sudden rumbling of someone clearing a throat, tearing the pharaoh's gaze away from the vase in the corner. Atemu nodded once more, his face sobering as his gaze fell on his cousin. Set was waiting as impatiently as ever, foot drumming the air in its impatience. His skirts bobbed along the floor as his foot began to lose its fever. He stood so quickly that the pharaoh would have placed a bet on his headdress falling to the marble waiting below. As his hands landed on the smaller male's shoulders he locked his icy hues on the fiery one inches below.
"I must talk to you about the situation." He glanced to Isis, hesitating. "Alone."
The woman excused herself, moving into chambers away from the two. Set did not waste time in plowing to the situation at hand, sitting back in the position he had occupied when the two had entered the room moments before.
"Alright, the problem that Isis has informed you about is a cover up, a story that I have fed the other priests into believing. If they knew the truths it would move to the ears of our people. Even the most loyal have lips to loosen." He bit along his bottom lip, silently searching for the words he feared to utter; because once they were spoken they became the truth. Atem waved his hand, ushering the truth out of the other. "It is a purple, dark mass that is hovering above the cities in the west. The Nile has become dry, its children moving into our cities in fear of death. They are crying about destruction. The pyramid we had just begun constructing has fallen, a hoard of bandits the ones who took the blame. However, the truth is more unbearable. It was a crime only brought on by one man. No raiders were seen in sight, but a single man was seen leaving the scene of the crime. With bare hands nothing was stolen but a pyramid and all inside was brought to meet the sands."
Judging by the look in Set's eyes this man was a force to be reckoned with. But the sudden sorrow that flooded into his eyes struck the pharaoh the most. The situation was already out of the priest's hands and now he did not know what to do. If the high priest felt a sudden threat the cause was surely only one person, one demon. Atem had seen this look before, and knew the cause in an instant.
"Diabound…" He shook his head, not willing to believe the sudden news. His voice dropped, eyes closing. "Set, what is the real body count?"
The priest moved his gaze to the side, a grimace on his face. "Out of the many villages that have been destroyed there have only been five survivors. Three of which are with the medics as we speak but will not be survivors for much longer. The other two, a boy and his mother were left in worse conditions. They boy's eyes were removed and the mother's womb was torn from her body as she went into childbirth. She carried the bloody carcass of the child she lost into the city gates." Another pause, sorrow again. "Your name was carved into the child's abdomen. She flung it at my feet, praising your name for the sake of vengeance."
All of the news was too much for the ancient male to handle. He had never dealt with Diabound without the demon in another's body. The only question was where his newest host was located, who would agree to such a nasty contract. What individual could live with desecrating a dead child's body? Atem caught himself on a nearby chair, head spinning. He had been so focused on how miserable he felt without his friends that he had neglected his people.
"How many people know of this?" His hand fell from his eyes, a fire burning brighter than any the priest could remember seeing in the young pharaoh's eyes. They reminded Set of someone, but he could only remember a blue raging fire. Those beautiful blue eyes from so long ago, so long that he had to remind himself what she looked like.
"Myself, the victims, and you."
"Take me to the mass that you speak of in the sky."
Set did not waste time trying to convince the prince otherwise with that look in his eyes, and sent the guards to fetch the two of them horses. Atem called for Mahad, entrusting him with the information on how they were going to his father's tomb for the night, and that they would return soon on the morrow. Atem exchanged his light clothes for a heavier cloak and a breastplate under his tunic. Set returned from his chambers with his rod in hand and sword at hip. He had also changed his attire so that his look was more regal. Blue embroidery wove through the creamy robes, gold bangles accented his upper arms, and the headdress framed his face to give it more a sharp edge. Perhaps Set wished to die in the way he had lived, but Atem did not hold the similar wish.
The pharaoh looked to the wall, the three gods standing at attention, waiting for his command. He gave a silent prayer, placing his hand around his puzzle. After taking a trip to the medical ward to give his praise and promise for a better tomorrow, he made his way to the stables where Set was waiting. At the door he was met by Isis and Mahad, worry written across their faces. They were by no means lacking intelligence, but Atem refused to leave the palace without knowing they would remain. In the event the palace was to be attacked he needed the other strong priests there to protect the city. He promised that he and his cousin would return but refused to look back as he reached out for his horse's mane. Stroking the beast's nose, he placed his own against its head. Looking into the large brown eyes he was struck with a sudden horror. The sun would not be rising tomorrow but it would set the same today. Glancing at Set he wondered if they shared similar thoughts. Surely his cousin held the hope that he could not muster.
He swung onto his stead, yanking on the reins to steer after the sand cloud that Set had created. They rode swiftly, away from the cities. After many miles Atem set his eyes to the cause of the falling cities. In an instant he knew it once his eyes laid on it. It was not as immense as he thought it would be, seeing as how it was supposed to be the portal that Diabound would be able to travel by. It was small, the size of a mere mortal. Set would probably snuggly fit between its width. Scanning the area, he only saw one thing that seemed out of place. There was a tent pitched directly to their left, food littering the floor around it. Food that was not to be known for years to come. Once his foot connected to the desert floor, he made his way to the tent, maneuvering away from Set's clutches. In front of the tent, he knelt, noticing the zipper that was as much of a wonder to ancient times as the food wrappers that scattered the tent.
Shakily, his fingers connected to the zipper. After exhaling his withheld breath he pulled down sharply. He blinked so that his eyes could better make out the sleeping form inside. Reaching to pull down the cover around the slumbering body, he yelped when a hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward. His body was pulled tightly against another and he felt something sharp prick against his neck. Set's shouts were soon dissipated and Atem was not sure what the sudden silence was caused by.
"How nice it is to feel you again, pharaoh." The voice was gruff, causing his neck hairs to stand on end. The voice he knew but he could not place the voice with a face. Craning his neck slightly, he was startled once more when the dagger scraped his flesh harder. "I would hate for you to slice your pretty neck before we get started."
Heeding the warning, he chose a different route. "Who are you and what have you done to my cousin?" Satisfied with the strength that shone through his worry, the pharaoh waited for the stranger's answer.
"You mean to tell me you forgot all of our time together?" A sarcastic sigh. "Well, no matter."
Atem felt a sharp blow to the back of his head, slumping against his captor. The priest was laid beside his pharaoh. A sudden gold light illuminated the tent, both souls of the unconscious secured safely in the shadow realm. The tent rustled once more, and a white head was stuck through the hole.
"Come tombkepper, let's reunite the pharaoh with his friends."
The blonde turned on his heel, a smirk across his insane face. "Yes, dear Thief King."
The two unconscious bodies were slung over the offender's shoulders, who walked under the purple and violets above. The shadows reached down, plucking the four bodies out of the desert and into the city of modern Cairo.
A pale hand reached to caress the pharaoh's cheek, and the body leaned into the young prince's ear.
"Here, your long awaited reunion is waiting for you to wake." The thief's tongue rolled across the pharaoh's earlobe. "Do not make me wait little prince. Our fun has only begun."
I will continue writing only if my readers tell me it is in their interest! So, remember to R&R if you want more. And yes, that means the sex.
