Chapter Four

Malik stared at the girl, recognizing her from earlier, but rather than the rags she had been wearing, she was dressed in expensive garb that befitted a noblewoman. She appeared stunned, but not because two thieves were pointing daggers at her, but because there were even people at the gate. Her eyes darted around and then she asked in a trembling voice, "Did you kill Rishid?"

"Of course not," Malik answered without a thought. Rishid must have made some sort of deal with this girl.

His answer seemed to calm her somewhat she released a sigh of relief, putting a hand to her forehead. "Thank Ra, then he wasn't at the gate like he was supposed to be." This seemed to calm her and then she looked at their daggers pointed towards her before turning her eyes back to their faces. Bakura was tense beside Malik and he sensed that he was readying himself to kill her.

"Wait, Bakura," Malik said, holding a hand out. Bakura flashed an annoyed look to him. "You're not supposed to be out there, are you?" he asked the girl, directing his attention to her. Her eyes flashed with alarm, but she quickly covered it up by brushing some of her hair from face and looking away, not replying. He smiled, seeing her glance at him. "I'm not stupid, girl. You're a noblewoman. What you're doing lurking out in the outer city limits is beyond my concern, but maybe we can strike a bargain. I would guess that Rishid has been letting you out and that's why he's not at the gate."

"What's it to you?" she demanded, placing her hands on her hips, glaring at him, trying to intimidate him. Malik straightened and walked towards her, pressing his dagger against her chin lightly, trailing it down to the tops of her breasts. Her cheeks turned pink, but she kept her eyes steady upon his. A sudden flicker of recognition crossed her face. "You...you were down there in the outer city," she said, the fight washing out of her face in surprise. Confused, she looked from him to Bakura and then back to him. He could tell that she was about to unleash a torrent of questions and they didn't have time for that.

"I'll make a compromise with you to keep you from losing your life," Malik quickly said before she could begin the questions. "Bakura would rather kill you, but you have your own secret to hide, don't you? I imagine you and Rishid have been doing this for some time. What would happen if an anonymous note was sent, telling of Rishid allowing you out for your own little adventures?" She stiffened. A smirk lit his lips and he withdrew his dagger, returning it to its hiding place behind his robes. He pulled the cover off his face, feeling his face overheat from the cloth. "What do you say, girl? We'll keep your secret if you let us out and keep our appearance here to yourself."

"Did you kill anyone?" she asked after a hesitation.

"No," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Would it matter if we did?"

"Then I wouldn't make the deal," she said. "I'm not going to condone you two killing people. What are you doing here, then?"

"Just kill her, Malik," Bakura spoke up, sounded aggravated. "We don't have time for her stupid questions. Rishid will be back any minute and I don't want to be caught talking to this girl by another guard."

"Answer that question and I'll let you through and my lips will be sealed about seeing you two," she replied calmly. "Neither of you have bags of gold, so I'm assuming that you came here for something else."

"Information," Malik said after regarding her for a moment, impressed in spite of himself at how well she was handling herself. "There was a village that was slaughtered that we came upon and we were nearly killed by some...thing...in it. There was no way of knowing what it was except by coming to the city." Her expression cleared and she eyed him thoughtfully.

"I believe you," she said at last. "It's not common knowledge of that happening." She opened the gate. "Hurry up, but remember, you promised to keep my secret." Malik gestured for Bakura and the thief lord hurried through. Malik made to go through the gate and then paused, looking at her in question. "You're wondering why a noblewoman was out there, aren't you?" she asked, as though reading it in his eyes. A small, regretful smile touched her lips. "Not everyone was born to the right class in society. Now hurry. Go." She nodded towards where Bakura was waiting. Malik said nothing to her, hurrying after Bakura and pulling the cover up on his face again.

Once they were gone, Anzu heaved a shaky sigh and closed the gate. She pulled the rag clothing out from her sash and hid them behind the crate. As she was returning from the crate, Rishid had returned to his post. She thanked him with a wave and he returned it with a smile. Anzu pulled her cloak around her and hurried through the streets to her home. Once she was safe in her room, she didn't even bother lighting a candle, stripping her clothes off and putting a gown on. She sat on the bed, pressing her hand against her forehead, as though checking her temperature. Did I really just make a deal with the two most dangerous thieves in all of Egypt? She recalled the Thief Lord's insistence on killing her. She had only heard of Bakura's partner by reputation, but he was nothing like she expected. He had an aristocrat's face and there was something utterly beguiling about his eyes, as if he were staring into her soul. She lowered her hand as his face came back to her mind, so close to hers when she had been trying to close the gate.

Although Bakura was nothing like I imagined, either, she realized. While his partner had the smoothness of a man that lived in a life of court, Bakura's face was more harsh with more lines from desert living and perhaps more years than his partner, but it was still not unhandsome. Had they been in expensive dress, Anzu could have seen them as being noblemen. After a moment, she lay on her bed and tried not to think of all that had happened that night, but it seemed impossible to stop thinking. As she stared at the moonlight that lit long strips along her ceiling, she couldn't erase the image of the thief's inquisitive lavender gaze as he paused at the gate. Even as she drifted off to sleep, his eyes followed her into her dreams, dancing teasingly at her.

X

"There's no mistaking it, my Pharaoh," Siamun Muran was softly as they approached the war room. "That must have been Bakura that killed that guard last night. The guards searched and found a few things missing in your chambers, but a good deal less than I would expect from the Thief King." Atemu nodded, but didn't immediately reply as they entered the room. The high priests were already inside and, with the exception of Seto, were all seated at the long table. They rose to their feet when he entered, but he waved a hand, beckoning them to sit.

"Why are we meeting here all of a sudden?" Seto asked bluntly.

Briefly ignoring the question, Atemu announced, "The Thief Lord was in the palace yesterday – before sundown, it appears. He killed the guard guarding the balcony and stole a bit of gold." The room stilled and of them all, Isis appeared most astonished. "I felt that, with the recent events, it would be best to move this room for these discussions, at least outside of audience hours. Bakura has always been greedy and would have stolen much more, which makes me to believe that he didn't come here for the sheer purpose of stealing."

"He would have raised quite a ruckus for the fun of it, too, just to prove that he could get away," Akhenaden added, frowning from beneath the hood of his robes. "But what purpose could he have had in sneaking into the palace grounds then? And why would he have come so close to the throne? To make an attempt at your life?"

"Bakura's not that stupid," Seto spoke up. "If he killed that guard, it was to keep him from raising the alarm, which means that he had been near that balcony for some time. He was listening to our conversation, but the real reason is why. What type of information was he looking for?"

"Whatever information he wanted, he must have gotten because he had time to go and snag a few items before he left," Kalim said mildly. "But the only thing we discussed was the village and our plans for handling it."

Atemu stood at the end of the table thoughtfully and then glanced at Isis, who was unusually quiet. His face softening somewhat, he told her, "I know that this is a sensitive topic for you, Isis...but do you believe that Malik might have been within the palace walls, too?" She raised her eyes to his, her mouth pinched in a pained expression and then she shook her head slowly.

"No...in all the years that he has been with Bakura, he has rarely entered the palace grounds. He knows that the risk of running into me is quite high." She dropped her gaze, adding, "His moves since living the priesthood have been nothing if not cautious, so as to avoid unnecessary incidents with me. Bakura would have been acting alone last night. If, as Seto suggests, they were looking for information, Malik would have remained in the outer city limits while Bakura was in here. He might have been in the inner city, but again, it would have been too much of a risk during daylight and it seems that was when they were acting."

"Which is also unusual," Atemu said, crossing his arms and looking to Seto, who was watching him carefully. "In all my time as Pharaoh, Bakura has always preferred to act at night unless he had a group of thieves to make an attack on the palace, but since his partnership with Malik, he hasn't done that. It makes me wonder whether they haven't been running into problems with this...evil...in the desert."

"That village, from what I've learned from the boy, isn't located on the banks of the Nile," Shadii spoke up. "It seems it's further out in the desert, so it could be possible the two thieves either witnessed the attack or came upon the village and saw the slaughter."

"Villages being wiped out are common in the desert because of bandits outside of Bakura's control," Seto said, shaking his head. "They wouldn't have come to the city for information purely due to that. They must have had an unpleasant encounter and knew that there are own hideout was threatened by it."

The room went silent as Atemu considered this, staring down at the top of the table thoughtfully. His mind had become much clearer since talking with Anzu. It was as if the cloud of depression and exhaustion that had been controlling him was dispelled by her bright, encouraging words. He had met Malik before and knew the male to be sharp and intelligent, even more so than his sister. When Atemu learned that Bakura had taken him as a partner, he was certain that his intelligence had been one of the many reasons that Bakura had chosen him, right beside his extensive knowledge of the city and the priesthood. I would never voice this to even Siamun Muran, he thought, but there may be something to be gained from this event. Bakura has thwarted me every step of the way in trying to catch him since I came to power and has made multiple attempts at my life, but since partnering with Malik, he has become even more stealthy and cunning. I could never negotiate with Bakura – at least not alone – but Malik is another matter. If, in fact, they had an encounter with this evil, they are already involved in this struggle. They're too smart to know that they can ignore it, especially when it is originating in the desert. Seto is right, they likely feel threatened and are trying to figure out if it's a creature that they can combat with their small band of thieves. Bakura is too prideful to ask for help from others, but with Malik's calculating mind at his side... Atemu stirred from his thoughts and glanced at Seto. The rigid set of his jaw made him think that Seto's thoughts were turning in a similar direction.

"At the present, there is nothing we can do about the thieves," he said at last. "Our first priority is the village and seeking information there. Shadii, you spoke to the boy? Is he feeling comfortable enough with you to point out his village on the map?"

"He did, Pharaoh. He was most eager to help in any way, but I kept him in the palace. He's still very shaken up. The guards told me that he slept with candlelight the entire night and seemed to be quite restless." Shadii paused a beat before saying, "I don't think he got much sleep. He looked exhausted when I saw him."

"That's understandable after what he's witnessed. If we have a location, it's best that we visit this village today. Shadii, Kalim, and Seto, I would like you three to take this task upon yourselves. As for the rest of us, I think it would be best not to leave the city undefended. I would like Akhenaden to stay here to protect the temples of the gods on the palace grounds and for Isis to watch the temples within the inner city limits."

"And me, my Pharaoh?" Mahado queried.

"I have another task for you, Mahado, that I'd like to speak with you privately about." Mahado inclined his head politely. "If there are no questions, then it's best we get prepared as quickly as possible." He raised a hand to dismiss them and the priests stood up and filed out of the room. Mahado remained behind, as instructed, but Seto also lingered. Atemu looked at him curiously, but Seto merely glanced at his advisor pointedly. "Siamun Muran," Atemu spoke up, taking the hint, "would you wait for me outside while I talk with these two?"

"Of course." The advisor obligingly left, shutting the doors behind him.

"Should I leave, as well?" Mahado asked, rising to his feet.

"No, I trust your judgment, Mahado, but I'd like for this conversation to stay strictly between the three of us," Seto told him. "I'm sure, Atemu, that your mind was going the same way as mind when they were talking about the thieves. It might be beneficial if we could get their cooperation on this. They know the desert better than any of us and have...ways...of doing things that might be useful."

"I was also considering that, but there are a lot of barriers as far as that goes," Atemu told him frankly. "There is, foremost, the issue of their past criminal activities. We cannot overlook the damage they have done to the people – Bakura, especially. There is far too much blood on his hands. However, I was thinking that Malik is another matter. He has very few murders linked to him, although I am sure he's performed a fair many since becoming partners with Bakura, but he might be more reasonable."

"Malik is also just as clever, if not more so," Seto bit out with feeling. "He'll use the situation to his advantage, if he can, and bring the entire palace down if he so pleases. If – and only if – it comes to that, we need to be careful with him. Malik has never been trusting, even when he was in the priesthood, and his relationship with Isis will make him even less reliable. I don't mean to appeal to them now, but as a last resort. I don't want to become more involved with that damned Ishtar than I have to. He does nothing but cause trouble, even when he's not around." Atemu's eyebrows raised ever so slightly at the comment. Rather than ask him about it, however, he turned to look at Mahado, who seemed deep in thought.

"How do you feel about it, Mahado?"

"I would have to agree with Seto on this," Mahado admitted. "There are too many risks involved right now. But...there may come a time when they come to us. Or rather, Malik may appeal to Isis." Seto snorted. "I'm not saying it will be soon, but if they are in a desperate situation, Bakura's pride would prevent him from asking the Pharaoh for help, but he might force Malik to talk to his sister. It is...well known...that Isis would never turn her brother away and I think Bakura knows this well and will use it. And, I think, if the situation is bad enough, Malik would be willing enough to turn to his sister as a means of negotiating or for help. Regardless, though, it might be better for us to wait for them to act, rather than to act ourselves. We can manipulate the terms more if they come to us."

"It's not a decision that needs to be made now, either," Seto reminded the Pharaoh. "I'd rather we not have to associate with Malik at all."

"If we get to that point, we may need to," Atemu told him and then nodded. "But as you say, it's not something we need to think about yet. If it happens as Mahado suggests, we may not need to consider it at all."

"Hopefully not," he said before giving a small bow and then leaving the room to join Shadii and Kalim.

"Well, with that settled...," Atemu sighed and looked to Mahado. "I have a bit of a...strange request for you, Mahado. I'd like for you to go into the outer city limits and watch the people there. I know that we typically let the lower priests deal with the small temples out there, but I think that it would be best for the High Priests to occasionally visit there. And, as they are outside the city walls, they will need more protection. I've already had palace guards sent out there, but in case of unusual attacks, it would be best to have one of the Sennen Items near there."

Mahado smiled slightly. "We are lucky to have you as our king, my friend. Even when we were young, you were always asking questions about people outside the nobility and how your father handled them. Very well, I will go there shortly."

"Thank you, Mahado. I knew that you would understand."

While Akhenaden, Mahado, and Isis went to their respective areas, the other three priests had already set out from the palace towards the village the boy had indicated on the map. There were interested stares from the people in the city while they watched the High Priests gallop through the city and out into the desert, those in the outer city looking particularly surprised by their appearance. "This village is not too far from the city," Kalim called to the other two. "We should arrive there by mid-sunrise and be back sometime after sundown."

"That is if everything goes smoothly," Seto replied, reaching around and pulling the cover of his robes above his nose as sand blew in his face. "There are a number of things that could go wrong in this. Even if there is daylight, we must be cautious while we are investigating. We don't know that this thing hasn't left the village."

"And if it hasn't, do you believe that we can combat it?"

"There's only one way to find out, now isn't there?"

By the time they arrived outside the village, it was nearly mid-sunrise. They didn't immediately enter the village, looking at it from an overseeing sand dune. Seto pulled his Sennen Rod out from beneath his robes, glancing at his companions. "It seems calm enough," Shadii said, "but we should be prepared for whatever may happen. It would be best for us to raise a shield around ourselves before moving in." There was a collected nod and they each raised their Sennen Item and a soft glow emitted from the golden objects before they returned to their original luster. "Shall we, then?" The other two nodded and they urged their horses down the hill and to the village. The village was eerily silent and the slaughter that the boy had described had transformed into a strange scene. Rather than the fresh corpses they expected, they found skeletons lying around the village, yet the clothes that hung from the bones were fairly intact and there was still the stench of fresh death in the air and a dull stain in the sand from blood.

"Their bodies...have already gotten to this unholy point," Kalim said in a hushed, shocked voice.

Shadii dismounted from his horse and knelt next to a skeleton, surveying the bones carefully while Seto held the reigns to his horse. The creatures padded at the ground, ill at ease. While Kalim moved ahead a few paces, dipping his head down to look into the houses and stare at the bodies, Seto kept a close eye on their surroundings, looking for any sign of the creature that had caused the devastation. The village, however, was eerily silent, sand blowing through from the desert, already beginning to form piles near the bodies. "Their bones are unmarked by any deadly blows," Shadii said, straightening to his feet. He looked at a home and then moved towards the ajar door, pushing it open. He gagged, stepping back and covering his mouth with the sleeve of his robes. He opened a hand and a small globe of light floated into the home and then disappeared, but it was enough to cause him to stumble out and slam the door.

"What was it?" Seto asked as Shadii returned to his horse, throwing himself up into the saddle. "Shadii?"

"We need to leave. This place is foul. There's nothing more to be gained from staying here."

Surprised by his attitude, Seto turned to call to Kalim to see that the priest was galloping towards them from where he had been near the end of the village. Seto's eyes narrowed, wondering if he was simply frightened or if something had actually happened. When Kalim grew closer, however, he could see a dark, long shadow pursuing him. As soon as Kalim had joined them, the shadow sprang up from the sands and loomed above them and smashed against their shields. Seto raised his Sennen Rod up instinctively and pushed it out, the eye in the Rod flashing bright light.

"We cannot fight this thing, Seto!" Shadii called, reaching over and grabbing at his arm as the horses reared, shrieking with fear. The push of power from the Rod had been enough to distract the shadow, however, and give them an opportunity to escape the village. Their horses were eager to leave and as soon as they were in the desert and the horses were willing to slow, they did so and looked behind them, but there was no sign of the shadow pursuing them. "It didn't follow us..."

"No...and while I'm glad it didn't, it makes you wonder why," Seto said. Turning to Kalim, he snapped, "And what were you doing that far from us?"

"We were on a mission to get information and that's what I was doing," Kalim returned in cold fury.

"Then maybe you should remember to stay with the group so you don't get killed in that type of situation next time."

"Enough, you two," Shadii intercepted smoothly. "Let's hurry back to the palace and report the incident. We don't have time to argue out in the desert." The two went quiet, but grudgingly so and neither of them said a word the entire ride back to the city.

By the time they had returned to the palace, it was well past sundown and the three priests were exhausted. Nonetheless, they knew their duty was to report to the Pharaoh and so after gathering the other priests that had been completing evening rituals in their temples, they left to the palace. Atemu met them in the throne room, dressed casually and without jewelry, as he had already been in his chambers. "I'm relieved that you've returned," Atemu said, settling into his throne. "I was beginning to worry. What were you able to find out?"

"Should we wait for Siamun Muran?" Kalim asked.

"No, I didn't rouse him. He'll be asleep. I'll relay anything to him."

"We were attacked while in the village," Shadii spoke up without waiting for one of the others to say anything. The other three priests appeared alarmed at the news, Isis especially so, and Atemu leaned forward in his throne. "We knew that we couldn't fight against it as we were, it nearly shattered the shield we raised with our Sennen Items. It didn't have any shape, though, it was simply a dark mass, as though it was turning night." He shook his head. "I didn't try to use any of the enchantments that Mahado sent with us, I told them to flee. I apologize if you felt differently, my Pharaoh, but I could sense the strength in that creature."

"No, it was the right choice," Atemu assured him, clasping his hands, a sober expression covering his features. "Is there anything else?"

"The bodies were stripped of their flesh, they were nothing but bones, yet their clothes were still there. And...another thing, that I did not tell the others until now...when I looked into one of the homes, it smelled of rotting flesh and the walls were covered with a wet, dark congealing substance. There were insects gathered inside as though the bodies had decayed within the houses and while I'm sure some did, it was far too strong of a stench. I hesitate to suggest this, but...I believe that the flesh of the people are now within the houses. That is my only explanation for what little we know from going there."

"This is Dark Magic that we are dealing with," Atemu quietly said, "and very powerful Dark Magic, indeed, if it is nearly able to break through the Sennen Items' shield."

"That would explain why I haven't been able to see anything with the Tauk," Isis said.

"Yes...but whether this creature is acting on its own or not is still unknown. If there is someone controlling it, then it is likely that they mean to destroy all of Egypt. But to what purpose?" He shook his head and released a long sigh, straightening in his chair. "There is much that we still don't know. For now, though, there is nothing we can do. Go and get some rest. It's been a long day." Seto didn't immediately leave, following Atemu out to the balcony. Atemu flattened his hands on the balustrade, staring out at the dim garden. When Seto joined him, Atemu asked, "You're not going to sleep? You've been riding all day, I'm sure you're sore."

"Whether I'm sore or not is irrelevant," he dismissed. "Do you remember that incident some years ago with Bakura and that demon he brought up with his own attempt at Dark Magic?"

"Yes, but this isn't Bakura's style," Atemu told him in a weary tone. "If there is one person that I know better than my friends, it is my enemy, and Bakura has never been one for subtleties. If he was planning on destroying me with Dark Magic, he would make no secret out of it. But, there is also the fact that after that event nearly lost him his life, he doesn't seem to be fond of trying anything with Dark Magic anymore. He's not stupid enough to try it again."

"We have several weapons at our disposal, Atemu," Seto stated. "We have the Sennen Items and we have the god demons. We should act now before that creature gets stronger."

"We do have many ways of going about this, you're right," he agreed, "and if this was as simple as a creature getting out of control, I would consider putting the entire might of the Egyptian power into destroying it, but you're forgetting that we don't know if there is a mastermind behind this. We could have failed against Bakura, even with all of our destructive powers. No...it's best we treat this one more cautiously...If there's a magician behind this, then he'll only summon another creature and we'll be too drained to defeat it."

"If you think that's best," Seto said coolly.

Smiling, he turned around to face him. "I know you don't agree with my methods, but I won't sacrifice my people without knowing that it would be a worthy sacrifice. I would only be sending us in to die if there was a magician willing to continuously summon creatures to this land, and that would be playing into his hands. I'm not willing to do that."

"Then you had best hope that creature doesn't get so powerful we can't destroy it at all."

Atemu watched Seto walk back into the throne room, his shoulders set in irritation. He sighed, shaking his head, and turned his face back to face the heavens. Father...what would you have done in my situation? But the starry body of Nut merely twinkled down at him, oblivious of his worries.

TBC

X

DIS: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I appreciate the feedback:) The weekend flew by and I completely forgot to post this chapter. In any case, please leave a review letting me know how you're liking it, whether you'd like to see changes, etc. With that said, cheers!