DIS: Guess who's baaaack? :P
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Title: Sands of Egypt
Rating: T
Genre: Romance/Adventure
Summary: AtemuxAnzuxMalik. A noblewoman of Egypt and an expert thief that abandoned the life of nobility. Two people that had dreams and only one that carried it out. Egypt is in danger and they are only two people who can face the creature that threatens Egypt. Nobles, commoners, and thieves alike must work together to face the evil that is trying to corrupt Egypt and bring the new Pharaoh crashing from its throne, dead rather than alive.
Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh, but I imagine the plot, ideas, etc. are mine.
Notes/Warnings: Set in ancient Egypt; AtemuxAnzuxMalik; trustshipping; apprenticeshipping; second chaptered ancient Egypt fanfic
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Sands of Egypt
Prologue
Above the long plains of sand was the goddess, Nut, stretching beyond the horizon and protecting the world with her starry, dark azure body. It was the time when all the people of the ancient world rested their weary limbs after a long day of work. It was at this time that people settled their bodies into bed and closed their eyes to allow their goddess to watch over them during the evening. But all over Egypt there were persons who were still quite awake. In a dark house were two men that were gliding from room to room. One man paused near a window and peered outside. The moon shone overhead, lighting his handsome face. "Bakura," he murmured to his companion. When he only heard the light footsteps of his companion and the occasional rummage of his rucksack, he hissed, "Bakura!" There was an irritated grunt, but nothing more. The man turned from the window at last, scowling.
"If I hear you say my name one more time, I'm slitting your throat, Malik," the male rumbled as he drew away from a wooden sculpture that he had apparently determined was either too heavy or not important enough. He adjusted the bag he was carrying and squinted at Malik, whose features were hard to make out with the moonlight outlining his tall figure.
"We're almost out of time. The nobles are beginning to return from the palace." He paused, peering up the street. He slid back so that he was concealed in shadow and frowned. "It doesn't appear that there are as many people leaving as usual." Bakura snorted and then hastened away, likely to make one round of the house before leaving. Malik watched for a moment longer and then followed Bakura, picking up his bag and hurrying through the house, his eyes flicking over each item and after dismissing all, he exited the house where Bakura was waiting for him, on his horse. Malik secured his baggage to his own horse and then hopped on. "We'll have to hurry if we want to make it out of here before the nobles see us. I don't particularly want to be running from the Pharaoh's guards tonight."
"Oh?" Bakura had been gazing up at the gleaming palace and glanced at him when he spoke. "You don't?" He turned his gaze back to the palace, pulling his horse to the side and lowering his voice. "We could raid the palace tonight. In and out, a short little raid, enough to get good gold."
"No," Malik flatly said. Bakura's face darkened irritably. "There are nobles still at the palace, along with the priests, I would bet. There is clearly something happening there tonight that we won't want to get involved in."
"Which makes it the perfect opportunity! They'll be too occupied with brooding and their shit, so we might as well go in, get what we can, and by the time we get back to Kul Elna, we'll be happy, tired, souls."
"They don't get distracted with the additional things that they have to do, you fool," he snidely returned. "They become more focused. I would know their types of personalities. I'm related to one, if you recall." Bakura's lip curled in a sneer and he likely had a nasty retort for that piece of information, but he seemed to gain hold of his wits and just sulkily pulled his horse away from the path that would have led to the palace. Malik followed him, urging his horse into a light canter, but not before directing a last, lingering look upon the palace and it's tall, glowing structure. It filled him with disgust and the same hunger that Bakura had – to raid it of all its wealth and the life that existed within.
In another part of the city, a slim figure is slipping into the inner city limits. The gate, having been left open for their convenience, was unprotected by any guard. The figure pulled their cloak around their face more firmly, glancing around apprehensively and then continuing forward. They hurried through the streets and when hearing the trot of horse hooves, darted inside a doorway. Unbeknownst to them, two thieves were seated upon the horses that passed them. Selfishly, they were only concerned for their own well-being. Once the sound of the horses had faded, the figure hastened away from the doorway and winded their way through the streets and stopped at a home that was lavish, much like the surrounding area. After a pause, they slipped into the house and ascended the staircase to the top floor, where they lit a candle. The cloak was thrown on the bed and the woman who had been concealed within it sighed, settling upon the bed as she lit another candle.
Anzu peered into her mirror, inspecting her image carefully. In spite of being a nobleman's daughter, she had never been fond of the life and had taken every chance possible to avoid the inner city, where the nobles were located. The priests' homes and many of the more extravagant temples were located in the inner city. The guards' homes, the noblemens', and the palace were all located in the inner city. Those who were not of noble blood and were poor lived in the outer city limits, along with the slaves and many of the markets. Ever since she had been a kid, she had slipped in and out of the inner city as many times as she could. She had been caught once and had cried, screaming to her father as he whipped her that she had not known it was not allowed. He forgave her and although he watched her, Anzu simply became more stealthy.
She sighed, stripping off the clothing that she had worn for her trip to the outer city. She wore clothes of the lower classes so that she would not be suspected of being a noble. Even though she had happened upon many of the places several times as a child and many people in the markets knew her, she would be ostracized if she were ever to be found out as a noble. The only two that knew were her two best friends, Jounouchi and Shizuka. They had good hearts and she always helped them when she could, giving them a little bit of money here and there, but not enough that her parents would grow suspicious as to where her money was disappearing.
It's hard to get out now, she thought, stashing her clothing away and hastily washing away the dirt from her body from the water basin in the corner. Satisfied with her cleanliness, she pulled on a clean gown to wear to bed and blew out the candles. The moon shone in the room, the light spilling and casting shadows throughout her room from the balcony. She sat on her bed, staring out at the bright buildings of her city. Mother has been constantly trying to get me married and I never have any time with how she is always dragging me along to meet this man or this man. I'm thankful that I wasn't forced to go to court with them tonight. She sighed yet again, closing her eyes as a warm breeze blew in, passing through the thin clothing and drying the sparse bit of sweat on her skin. She lied down and felt the long day catching up to her, drawing her into a comfortable, restful sleep.
Meanwhile, however, the palace was awake with tension. Malik had been correct in telling his friend to avoid the palace that night, as the occupants were more wary than usual. The throne room was silent, the priests situated in front of the Pharaoh Atemu. Anzu's father, Hepshut, was the pharaoh's scribe and had been invited for dinner that night. The other nobles had been dismissed, but he had been asked to remain at the palace, along with his wife, Mara. The throne room was bright, the torches upon the wall lighting up every crevice. After a pause, Atemu sighed and rose from the throne, stepping down. His advisor, Siamun Muran, tilted his head slightly, watching him curiously.
"This is a grave matter indeed," the pharaoh said at last.
"The Sennen Tauk has never been clouded in the way that it has been lately," the priestess, Isis, told him, reaching up to touch the golden necklace encircling her neck. There were seven Sennen Items, six of them belonging to the high priests and one belonging to the Pharaoh. Atemu's father, Akhenamkhanen, had created the Sennen Items in a time of war so that Egypt would be protected from her enemies. However, it had taken a great sacrifice of souls for the Sennen Items to be created.
"Each of us have felt a great disturbance, my pharaoh," Mahado murmured from her side, inclining his head respectfully. "It feels as if a dark power is emerging...it is disconcerting, especially if Isis cannot determine what is to happen through the Sennen Tauk..." He glanced at Isis through the corner of his eye.
"And what of the other items?" Atemu queried, crossing his arms over his chest. "I, too, have felt an approaching evil...yet my puzzle has not reacted in any way other than ordinary. Has anyone else's Sennen Item reacted unusually?" He turned to the remaining priests. Kalim, Akhenaden, Seto, and Shadii each looked at him respectfully.
"When initiating our judgment, I have felt no disturbance in the Sennen Key," Shadii said at last, glancing at the remaining priests, specifically towards Kalim, who was the holder of the Sennen Scales. Atemu, too, turned his gaze upon Kalim.
"The scales have been acting rather odd, my pharaoh," Kalim admitted. Holding the scales in his hand, he passed a hand over them and continued, "They have been acting rather erratic...along with Mahado's Sennen Ring."
"I do not deny it," Mahado said mildly, as if he had been accused. "It has been acting very strangely. I cannot detect each evil in every soul, after all." Atemu nodded and then turned and sat upon the throne again, his brow furrowed in worry.
"The Sennen Items work in mysterious ways," Akhenaden quietly said to the room. "While they work in the ways that we have meant for them, we cannot be sure that they will remain constant given their means of coming into being."
"The Sennen Items are items of good, not evil, Akhenaden," Mahado responded in a firm, yet respectful voice. "If your belief in their usefulness is waning, then perhaps you ought not to remain in possession of one..."
"Enough," Atemu interrupted, raising a hand to silence them. "While I understand your aversion to the idea, Mahado, I should remind you that Akhenaden has made a valid point. The items were made from a dark act, an act of massive destruction and death. If we forget the souls that were sacrificed in order for these items to be made into being, we forget ourselves." He paused a moment and then considered each of his priests solemnly. His eyes fell on Seto, who did not appear particularly interested in the conversation. "What do you think, Seto?" he queried at last, settling into his throne and smiling mildly at the male. He and Seto had grown up together and while he was obligated to respect the Pharaoh, the two of them became involved in more than their fair share of disagreements. In some ways, they were both hotheaded when it came to each other. While in the company of others, however, they maintained a calm façade.
"I feel that this is out of our control for the time being," Seto told him mildly. "Whatever this power is, we cannot know for certain what is causing it until there are larger indications than simply our own instincts and how the items are acting. I do not mean to dismiss any worries that you and any others have presented, pharaoh, but what can we do based on these small worries of ours?"
"And has your Rod not acted out of turn, then, Seto?" Kalim asked with a haughty expression.
"Whatever strange things that my Rod may have detected is no large concern of mine," Seto dismissed, not bothering to look at Kalim, his arms folded, his Sennen Rod in hand. "It often acts out of turn due to the shift in energies. If, in fact, there appears to be a problem, then I would assume it has something to do with that rather than a massive power clouding Egypt. Until further proof has been delivered, I see no reason to pay too much attention except to remain cautious."
"Remain cautious! What type of advice is that for a high priest to give?" Kalim demanded. "The scales are out of balance – Egypt is out of balance!"
"And what proof do you have other than that?" Seto asked coolly. "A drought? Minds turning towards violence? Livestock, crops dying? No...we merely have our instincts and our Sennen Items not acting as they generally have. Remember, the Sennen Items have not always been used for good. They were once used as weapons. And they were created by death, as Akhenaden has said. Whatever disturbances that have been caused are ones that have not presented themselves to us. We can only wait."
"This is madness!" Kalim cried, shaking his head. "You wish to wait for terrible events to happen before acting?"
"How can we defend ourselves against an enemy we cannot see?" was Seto's quick retort. To this, Kalim fell silent.
"Seto has made a good point, my pharaoh," Siamun Muran admitted. "There is nothing we can do in our current position."
"Agreed," Atemu murmured, inclining his head. "With that said, I think perhaps it is best that we end this conversation. I would not like it to get out of hand. While I do not wish for us to wait for a mass disaster as the ones that Seto has described, I do suggest that we watch the city and surrounding villages to note if anything extraordinary occurs. Also, please be aware of the Sennen Items and how they are acting. Especially you, Seto." Atemu smiled. "Given that it acts rather erratic on normal occasions."
Seto's mouth curled the slightest bit and he gave a small bow. To the others, it was a mere formality. To them, it was subtle challenge made by one to the other.
With the closing of the discussion, the priests and Hepshut and his wife prepared to leave, giving their respects to the Pharaoh before leaving the throne room.
Later that night, Mahado lie awake in bed, staring at the ceiling. The young woman curled against him was his apprentice magician, Mana. Her eyes were turned towards him, her hand idly stroking his long, dark hair. He knew that she could sense his distress and wished that she was not so connected to him. As his apprentice, however, it was almost a requirement for her to be such. "Mahado?" she said in a soft whisper. He shifted his eyes to her, turning slightly so that he could cup her face and kiss her forehead gently. "I know that the Pharaoh and Seto believe that there is nothing to worry about yet, but...what do you think? Do you think something bad is going to happen from this?"
"Even if the Sennen Items are an item of death, they would not be acting in the manner that they have. We must be on our guard...and hope that whatever evil is approaching is one that we can face."
Chapter One
Anzu had woken early, due partly to the beginning sunlight streaming through her window, but also the voices of her parents downstairs. She sat in bed for sometime, listening to their argument. She was unsure of the exact context they were speaking about, except that they should be worried about something, although it appeared that they differed on that. At one point, her father said that they must simply trust the Pharaoh, to which her mother angrily retorted that there was only so much a pharaoh could for his people. Anzu suspected the sudden silence may have been because her father had taken the time to inflict some violence to quiet her mother's blasphemous mouth. While Anzu was unsure of what was happening downstairs, she knew well enough that she should not become involved. So, she remained upstairs until their argument had subsided somewhat. Only then did she dare to move downstairs, making just enough noise so that they need not awkwardly stop as soon as she entered the room. By the time she had arrived, they were silent and offered a cheerful greeting to her. Based on the redness on her mother's arms, Anzu's suspicions were confirmed.
"Did you have a good time last night?" Anzu questioned mildly, eating a date from a bowl that was on the table. There was a quick glance that her parents exchanged.
"Oh, yes," Mara helpfully said, as her husband has resolutely turned his attention from them completely. "I do wish you had come, Anzu. You know the Pharaoh hasn't seen you since you were so young. I do believe that he, too, was rather young at the time, wasn't he, Hepshut?"
"Yes," he said briefly. "He is only but 5 seasons older than Anzu, I believe."
"Very close to your age," Mara confirmed, nodding her head and smiling. "It is too bad that we are not royalty. It would make a fine match for you. I do not think that I have met a more respectable man. Truly, the pharaoh is to be cherished for all time...he is thoughtful of all of his subjects, kind to his priests, knowledgeable, and of course handsome. Nobody could say otherwise of the Pharaoh Atemu."
Anzu ignored this, while at the same time thinking it rather ironic that her mother was saying such things only a small bit of time after she had been speaking poorly of the pharaoh and his judgment. Clearly her father felt the same, because Hepshut snorted, which caused him to receive a glare from her mother.
"In any case, I have managed to find somebody that is interested in meeting you, Anzu."
"Oh, please not this again," Anzu said exasperatedly. "I'm not interested in marriage!"
"Every respectable woman ought to have been married a season ago. You are long overdue to be married!"
"You act as though I am old enough to have five children, the way you go on!"
"You could," her mother said peevishly. "And you know very well that I do not appreciate that type of attitude. Your father and I have a great relationship. Why would you not like something similar?" Anzu rolled her eyes at that, thinking of how her parents had been arguing only moments before. Perhaps her mother suspected such, as her cheeks became a rosy colour. She turned to her husband, as though asking him for help, but he merely grunted and pointedly ignored them, calling to one of the servants for a shave. As he exited the room, Mara drew herself up taller, as though to prove to her daughter that she was capable of handling the argument alone. Anzu merely raised her eyebrows at her, placing her hands on her hips with a raised eyebrow. "You cannot remain unmarried forever, Anzu. Your father and I expect you to take your rightful place in society, as a married woman with a family. You cannot expect us to care for you forever. That is not the way of things."
"And is it the way of things for women to constantly enslave themselves to bumbling idiots who know nothing of what they are doing? The men you introduce me to are far too young!"
"If you were not so old – "
"I am not old!"
" – then you would have a man your age! The majority have already married and moved on to better things. What do you expect, men to wait? No, they also have obligations." Anzu released a sound of frustration and stormed past her mother to their door. "Where are you going?" Mara demanded, following her.
"Anywhere that I don't have to listen about marriage!" Anzu retorted, hastening into the busy street and running, not heeding her mother's calls. Mara stepped out into the street and then sighed, backing away from the moving carts and bustling Egyptians. She looked around, frowning, and then returned inside.
"Hepshut, what am I going to do with her?" she asked her husband, stepping outside on the terrace, where her husband was being shaved. "She will not listen to reason."
"Mara, you know how your daughter is. She is stubborn and strong-willed. It is unlikely that she would have a prosperous relationship if she married now, in any case."
"But she is losing her youth."
"The Pharaoh is unmarried, as you have mentioned, and yet he seems to be desired by everyone. Anzu will not lose her youth so easily. She has only experienced life for eighteen seasons. A few more without the worries of marriage would be good for her." Mara's brow wrinkled, but she fell silent with a soft sigh, folding her arms and staring out at the rising sun. She heard her husband murmur something to the servant and then he was beside her, wiping his face and neck with a damp towel. "Do not worry about her, Mara. Anzu is a good girl. Any man would love to take her as his husband and I am sure that she will soon see the good in such a man." He smiled to her and kissed her on the temple, running his hand down her back. "Now...I must leave to the palace. Please, leave Anzu alone about her marriage."
"I will," she said simply, although the thought of her daughter's unmarried status still troubled her.
When Hepshut arrived at the palace, he was preoccupied with his own thoughts about the night before, rather than the thought of his daughter and wife arguing about marriage. The entire conversation was disconcerting and he was afraid that if they continued to ignore the odd way in which the Sennen Items were behaving, his family would not even be able to argue about such things. Feeling a chill at this thought, he shook his head slightly and continued inside the palace. He paused, however, hearing angry voices from around a corner. They did not sound like soldiers, so he knew he would not be coming upon a needless argument. After a moment, he recognized the voices, one of which was Shadii's and the other being Mahado's.
"...cannot continue to treat her this way, Mahado!" Shadii was telling him in a stern tone.
"I am not treating her anyway, Shadii," Mahado's quiet voice returned. "I do care for her, I just think that perhaps her feelings are a bit deeper than mine..."
"And yet you continue to indulge in her body and treat her as though you do feel similarly. She is young, she may not be able to handle the strain of your rejection when it does come. If you knew anything, you would break this off immediately, even if it – " Shadii's voice broke off as Hepshut came around the corner. He smiled in greeting to the two priests, who murmured their greetings.
"I apologize for interrupting," Hepshut said kindly. "It seems you two were involved in a heated discussion. Is there anything I can do to help?"
"No," Mahado hastily assured him, in spite of Shadii's pointed look towards him, "it's fine, Hepshut, but I appreciate the gesture. Let us simply...walk. That discussion is going nowhere, anyway." He returned Shadii's look with his own and Hepshut, noticing both of their glances, merely ignored them, nodding agreeably. He was not all too inclined to become involved in the conversation, either, as he was not even sure of whom they were speaking.
As the three men walked through the palace, each were involved in their own personal thoughts. Hepshut took the time to enjoy the crisp air that meandered through the pillars. As he looked through the gaps the great stone structures allowed, he could see the sun god, Ra, rising, spreading his rays upon the city, touching the warm stone and giving the city a welcoming, golden appearance. When the sun crossed his face, he squinted slightly, but felt calmed by the feeling of the god touching his skin. It was both relaxing and reassuring. The worries that had been occupying his mind seemed to drift away and combined with the air that drifted in, balancing the temperature in the palace, Hepshut felt comfortable. However, regardless of how Hepshut was feeling, it was clear that the two priests were still occupied with their own thoughts.
"I cannot help but wonder," Mahado said in the silence, "if the Sennen Items would lead us astray." Shadii and Hepshut looked to him, each frowning in disapproval. "I know I accused of Akhenaden of poor judgment when he spoke of them this way last night, but it has remained in my mind, haunting me. If there were an evil approaching, is it possible that the souls within the Sennen Items may deny us?"
"We were not the makers of the Sennen Items," Shadii returned, "and I do not think that the souls would fault us for what had happened. The Items, for all purposes, are items of good, rather than of evil, although they were made of evil design..."
The men fell silent at this and then the subject turned to a less ominous one as they moved to the throne room. In the throne room, Atemu was seated with Siamun Muran, who stood next to his throne with a concerned expression. Atemu had his elbow propped against the arm of the throne, shading his eyes with his hand. He had slept poorly after the discussion with the high priests and he had been haunted with the thought of an impending doom that he could not foresee. Granted, other cultures had dealt with such things, but for as long as he could recall, Egypt had been protected by the foresight of the Sennen Items – particularly the Sennen Tauk – and with such a blessing, Egypt had been able to defend itself against any enemy. He feared that this enemy, unfortunately, was not human. He could not imagine that any human would be able to interfere in the Sennen Items as this force had done.
Raising his head, he touched his Sennen Puzzle, staring ahead of him at the long expanse of the room with an intent gaze. Even now, he could feel the unsettling feeling of something dark and evil penetrating his kingdom, yet the Sennen Item remained still without altering its power in any way. If only he knew better what could cause such disturbance amongst the Sennen Items; however, he and his high priests were only the second generation of users of the Sennen Items. His father, having created them, had been the first and Atemu felt that not even someone as wise as Akhenamkhanen could have known the type of dangers that the Sennen Items may have posed.
"My Pharaoh," Siamun Muran said gently, "I am sure that once we gather more information, we will be able to face this danger more readily. We can only be patient and hope for the best in these circumstances."
"But the best is not enough," Atemu told him grimly. "I know there is something out there, preying on us, and we cannot even see it or know what it is. It irks me to be put in this position of weakness...I grew up trusting the power of the Items and yet now we cannot use them the way in which they were designed. If it was a human enemy, then there would be no reason for their defect. There is something out there that I do not trust."
"There is nothing we can do, Pharaoh. Just as Seto said, we cannot chase after an invisible being. If we do not know our enemy, how are we to combat it? There is nothing we can do but be patient."
"Patience is a difficult task for a king," Atemu said softly, turning his eyes to the three men that had entered the throne room. "It is perhaps the most difficult of them all..."
Anzu rubbed her face and then glanced behind her, slipping from behind the building. Very carefully, she nudged the crate where she had hidden her clothing and then dashed away after determining that it was secure. She had become completely transformed, dressed in beggars clothing and with a face that had dirt smudged across it. She glanced around and then grinned, hurrying away from the neighborhood and running through the crowds, rudely shoving past a group of priests that yelled after her, "Reckless vagabond!" Ignoring them, she hurried to the tall, white-washed wall that was looming before her. She slowed as she came to the gates and gave an excited hop, stretching her arms and peering up at the sun that was boring down on her. She ran a hand through her hair and then dropped it, looking around curious. She followed the wall to one of the lesser used and more isolated gates. She approached the sentry, who turned to her, raising an eyebrow.
"I see you've come to pay me a visit again, little one," he remarked, smiling slightly.
"Rishid, you haven't gotten in trouble, have you?"
"Of course not," he assured her and then took a step away from the gate he was protecting, pushing it open slightly and glanced away. "Don't linger too long. There are more palace men about." She nodded and hastened through the gate, whispering a quick thank you.
The gate shut behind her and she clapped her hands, snickering, before she fled from the gate down the road. Outside the inner city of the Pharaoh was where the poorer citizens lived. She scrambled down the pathway. It was clear that there was less care taken to this part of the capital city. The homes were less grand, made of what appeared to be dark mud and thrown together hastily. Unlike the angular, symmetrical, tall homes of the Egyptian aristocrats within the inner city, these were misshapen, rounded and small. As Anzu stepped down through the shops with people shouting out to others and waving at women who called out to Anzu cheerfully from within their homes, she felt her heart fill with happiness. Inside, she felt as though she were suffocating from all the expectations that her place in life had delivered to her; here, it was as if that life did not even exist.
"Anzu!" a girl called when Anzu came to her destination, a home that was smaller than others and was surrounded by a few farm animals. The girl rushed forward and hugged her. "I'm glad you're here. I was wondering whether you hadn't been able to get out today."
"Why wouldn't I?" The girl turned to her, appearing surprised. She was three years younger than Anzu and smaller, with long auburn hair and wide, brown eyes. Shizuka had met Anzu when they had been younger girls in the market place when Shizuka's parents had been alive. Her father had been a merchant and had been haggling with Anzu's slave about fabric for her new dress when Anzu had seen a pair of faces peering at her from around the stall. She had inched forward, introducing herself to Shizuka and her brother, Jounouchi, and from then on, Anzu insisted on shopping at the merchant's stall for all of her fabric so that she might see her new friends. Their way of life had been strange and unusual to her and while initially she had offended her new friends with her way of speaking, she soon adapted to their own way of life. When she had gotten older and their stall had disappeared, she had crept out of the city with a few good-natured compliments and treats to Rishid and learned of their parent's death.
Presently, however, Shizuka shook her head and said, "The security's been increased throughout the city, I've heard."
"Did the Tomb Robber and his partner get into the palace again?" Anzu asked, frowning.
"When you say it like that, it just sounds awful," Shizuka told her with a wry smile.
"What? It's not like it's my fault that they keep stealing from the palace," she grumbled, following Shizuka into their home. The two girls went to one of the straw mattresses and settled on it, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder. "But really, Shizuka, is that why they've increased security or is it something else?" In spite of herself, Anzu recalled her parent's heated argument that morning. Her mind clouded over in worry, recalling her father's words about trusting the Pharaoh and wondered what had happened. She had only set eyes on the Pharaoh once and that had been when he had first taken the throne. He had a kind smile and she remembered the way in which he had bent his head to her father, speaking into his ear. Ever since the Pharaoh Atemu had come to the throne, her father had only spoken of him in reverence. Anzu trusted her father's judgment, but wondered what they were keeping from the common people.
"No one's sure why," Shizuka admitted, drawing her legs to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. She rested her chin on her knees, sighing. "But I don't like it. Jounouchi went out to see if he could get any other information – you know how he is about gossip like this. But I'm worried. There's even been men from the palace down here, patrolling. Many of those who have been hiding down here because they've been caught stealing have already been taken up. They must be looking for something. I don't think it's the Thief King this time, though..."
"No, he's been taunting the palace guards for so long that I doubt it could be him. But it's strange that they're keeping it quiet. Wouldn't they want the people to help them?"
Shizuka shook her head. "Not if they don't even know what they're looking for...But enough about that! You got home safe?"
"Yes, of course I did," Anzu assured her, smiling, glad for the change in the subject. She did not want to envision a hidden enemy. "But mother went on about marriage again today." She heaved an angry sigh and rose to her feet, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at the wall for a moment. "I mean, she keeps throwing these little boys at me and says that I am old, so it's my fault. Well, thank you very much, but I didn't ask to get old this fast!" Shizuka giggled. "It's not funny! I mean...I have to listen to this every day." Anzu had whipped around to look at her and then dropped her hands to her side, a saddened expression crossing her face.
"What about one of the Pharaoh's priests?" Shizuka suggested. "They're older and they are wealthy. Your life would be set. And...especially...that is to say, the high priest, Seto, is attractive." She blushed furiously, ducking and hiding her face behind her knees, only her eyes peeking out from above her knees. "He's not wedded to anyone and I'm sure he'd make an a-able husband..."
Amused by Shizuka's modesty, Anzu simply said, "My father might have connections to them, but there's no way that he would help my mother make that type of match and I'm not sure she has the audacity to suggest something like that yet. I'm not so sure I would want to get involved in the politics of that kind of match, anyway." And besides that, Anzu added silently to herself, moving to the doorway and leaning against it, crossing her arms, Seto is seeing the high priestess, Isis, in secret. My father sees more than they think they do and he let it slip in front of me. He trusts me not to say anything like that though and I wouldn't want to hurt Shizuka's feelings, either, since she has a crush on him. A palace soldier walked past, glancing at Anzu, his eyes skimming over without any recognition. A corner of her mouth tilted upward as she turned away and returned to her friend. I don't know why, out of all the men in Egypt, she admires an egotistical high priest.
"You're going to have to choose eventually, Anzu," Shizuka told her, her face now raised above her knees again. Anzu glanced at her and then sighed, a sad look crossing her face.
"I just wish it didn't have to be a nobleman...I want nothing to do with those people."
X
Isis stepped out of the temple, standing on the balcony, a long sheet of papyrus in her hands. She was wearing a light dress and golden jewelry around her arms and wrists, but her headdress was absent. She sighed and leaned against the stone railing, clutching onto the papyrus as she stared out at the city below her. The other temples loomed beside her, the figures of the gods standing tall and regal beside their respective temple. Along the stone walkways below, she could see priests and priestesses in headdresses rushing to and from amongst the sparse bit of green. The sun cast a long shadow upon the dry land and beat upon Isis's dark skin, warming it. Far along were the walls of the palace and above the walls, she could see the palace standing tall, its many pillars and ancient stone figures staring down at the city. She was oblivious to the scenery, however, her mind occupied by the hieroglyphs that were set upon the papyrus.
"I know that this was Malik's doing," she said at last to the still figure that was sitting inside, drinking from a goblet. Seto glanced to her slender frame outside and then released a small breath of air through his nose, setting his goblet aside and rising to his feet, joining her on the balcony. "Him and Bakura were right in this city on a raid and we had no way of knowing it, being preoccupied."
"And what would you have done had you met him?" Seto asked calmly. "Berated him? Asked him to return to the ways of the gods? Your brother doesn't want instruction, Isis."
"I know this," she murmured and then looked down at the papyrus, running her fingers down it. She sighed and then rolled it up, retying it. "I'm frightened, Seto. With the Sennen Tauk acting so strangely, I know that something terrible is going to happen. Every moment, I feel more tense, as if at any second something could strike and completely kill me. I would prefer that my family was close to me during this time. I have to find Malik and talk to him, to tell him – "
"Are you mad?" Seto snapped. "What good will that do? Your brother doesn't care about what happens to anyone but him and he certainly isn't going to care what happens to you if Egypt goes to war with someone – or something. Seeing him will do you no good. If we see him, then he should be put to death immediately for crimes against the Pharaoh." Isis fell silent, her expression downcast, but he could sense her displeasure with him. He drew in a deep, calming breath and then rested his hands upon her shoulders. "Isis, seeing him will not make you feel any better. He'll turn from you and go back into the desert. Or, if he does stay, it will be for his and Bakura's own gain, not because he wants to be near."
She raised her eyes and shrugged from his grip, her face set to an angry mask. She stalked away from him, tossing the papyrus to her desk. He raised his hands and then dropped them, following her silently. She had gathered her headdress and after he had taken his own, he followed her out of her chambers and eventually out of the temple. He tried once again to touch her, but she brusquely shoved him away, stomping towards her chariot that was waiting her. Seto's eyes clouded in anger at her attitude and he took his own chariot.
He understood that Isis was concerned for her brother, but anytime the two of them met, she would end the night by weeping in Seto's arms because of Malik's harsh words. Malik had reluctantly undergone the training of a priest and knew far more of the rituals and teachings than any other men who were not in the priesthood. It had been a terrible blow for Isis to watch her brother fall into a disreputable position and turn completely from not only the gods, but his family, his city, and the Pharaoh. When he had met Bakura, no one was sure, but Isis blamed the thief entirely for her brother's fall and because of that, she never gave up on Malik. Seto was still awaiting the day when she admitted that it was because of her own brother's weakness that he had become a thief rather than following the respectable path that their family had set for him. When she did, he would finally cease this battle with her when it came to Malik and she could finally accept that Malik was no longer the boy that she had grown up teaching in the absence of their parents.
Moody and disgruntled, the two of them arrived at the meeting. Atemu, noticing their demeanor, quietly asked, "Is anything wrong?"
Isis shot a warning glare towards Seto, who bristled at the expression. "No, we simply found out about a raid that Bakura performed last night."
The others glanced at Isis, as everyone knew very well that is was her brother who was partners with the Thief King; however, Atemu merely inclined his head at this mention, having more tact than the other high priests.
"Understandable," he murmured, smiling reassuringly at Isis. His smile did nothing to quell the anger that Seto had inspired in the Egyptian woman, though and, as the meeting continued, there was a dark tension that emanated from the couple.
TBC
X
DIS: A couple things that I'd like to say. First, this first chapter and the first part of the second chapter were written several years ago, so the writing style may change from now to the next chapter. Second, I'm popping this up here to get some feedback because I'm nearly finished with chapter six right now and am realizing that I really need some feedback to see if people will like how I'm constructing the plot/chapters. I wasn't going to post it until I had at least 12 chapters written up, but with the pace I'm going at, I'm not too concerned by that. :) Please leave a review letting me know how you like it, if you'd like to see me change the writing style any way. Cheers!
