Please not comment on the spelling and/or grammar. My computer was acting funning so I could spell check it properly. It's late, I want to go too bed. I'll check it over later. Just enjoy to update. Thank you.

x-x-x

The boy's ears shot up. Spinning on his heels amethyst came eyes too eye with pale blue and a gold replacement. The man's dull gray beard hung, decently tamed, a few inches from his chin along with equally gray locks of hair that draped down and over the left side of his face. Concealing his fake eye. Aged tan flesh, worn from stress and battles waved over his forms in small crinkles. Light and fading scars lined his visible form, definite signs of a hard life.

Yugi's gaze harden instantly. Unsheathing his claws he ready to attack.

"Easy dear boy, I'm not hear to harm you."

"You're of the the Pharaoh's priests." The teen hissed. "What could you possibly want?"

The man's aged, old eyes lidded, a heavy sigh pushed from his lips. Then there was silence.

Easing up his stance, Yugi stared calculatingly at the old man. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

Calmly the elder's eye gained a light shine as he bowed his head respectfully. "I am Aknadin, High Priest to Pharaoh Atem, welder of the Millennium Eye and uncial to the precent ruler." Yugi eyed Aknadin, wondering what the human wanted. After a pause he repeated, "What do you want, human?"

Aknadin smirked, jolting Yugi back into a tense-ready battle pose. "Dear Yugi, it is not what you can do for me, but what I can do for you." Yugi's ears twitched.

"And what's that?" the teen inquired, wearily.

"Freedom," Aknadin blatantly stated. Yugi's posture straightened, his eyes narrowed.

"You would betray your leader?" His voice held suspicion and cautiousness.

Without hesitation the older man nodded. "Why?" Again Aknadin's gaze downcast, as if seeing a past moment.

"There us to be someone here I deeply cared for. My brother, who was pharaoh at the time did know of her origin and neither did I. Until later…" Yugi's tail twitched. A silent command to continue. Wether he knew if Aknadin understood the motion or not wasn't answered as the elder continued anyway. "It was after my nephew's birth that she had to leave." Aknadin inhaled deeply. "I don't know why she left but I haven't seen her since," he looked too Yugi. "If you see her among your people please tell her they we are still waiting."

The cat-boy's ears narrowed forwards at the man. His eyes wide. "We?" Yugi saw Aknadin's aged body tense as he refused to look at the teen. Suddenly it all made since to then teen. The message, the food, this garden. Amethyst eyes gawked up at the man in shock.

"Please," Aknadin began. "I know you're of high rank from your single colored pelt, but I beg you…" he started to shake.

"You want me to keep this a secret." It was a statement not a question, Aknadin nodded slowly. Yugi's eyes narrowed on the man. "Did she bare you any litters?"

The Priest's eye shoot wide, fear imminent in its pale blue depth. Slowly, ever so timidly he nodded before he weakly found his voice. "O-One. Only o-one was b-born."

"I see…"

Aknadin hearing the all to familiar soft padding of feet approaching bowed his head lower. A hand was placed on his shoulder. "I will hold your secret to my grave if you can truly free me from this prison here."

Aknadin's head shot up seeing Yugi smile warmly. "And I will tell your mate that her human mate and kit still breath." A foggy blue eyes sealed with tears.

"Thank you Desert Runner."

The boy just nodded. "Now, what plan do you have on freeing me?"

"It won't be easy,"Aknadin gazed down at the cat-boy. "And Atem will most certainly chase after you."

Yugi gave the elder a fangy grin. "Yes, but we're not called 'Desert Runners' for no reason."

The priest too smirked back. "Here's what you have to do…" And the plan was then underway.

XxXxXxX

It was the peak of noon. Ra was at his highest making the heat unbearable. All the priests were present in then throne room along with Atem and Yugi, who was once again chained down.

Atem was handling the last criminal when Aknadin voiced all there wishes.

"My Pharaoh, could we rest up until early evening when Ra had cooled some?" Eager for the rest Atem agreed and dismissed everyone.

He took Yugi's chain as they head up stairs and down a corridor before stopped before a balcony at the end of the hallway.

Atem pushed Yugi on the the balcony. Yugi guessed he was about a hundred feet high give or take.

"Well Yugi, do you plan on speaking to me now?" Atem glared. 'I hope Aknadin's advise works.'

xXx

EARLY THAT MORNING

xXx

Atem strolled through the hallways for a morning stretch before attending the thrown room. As he rounded at corner he spotted Aknadin peering out over the fair city. 'I wonder…' "Aknadin!" Atem called his high priest. The elder turned and bowed. "What can I do for you my Pharaoh?"

Atem stood before the elder. "I want your advice on my cat-boy slave."

Aknadin inwardly roared but remained calm before Atem. "What sort of advice?"

"You've interrogated countless men for information during my fathers' reign," he began causing a rising ball of bile to tug in the elders gut. "My slave refused to obey me, yet I want no one to touch him other then myself." A slight sigh of relief Atem didn't notice blow from Aknadin's mouth. "So I want you to give me the best method you know to handle him and make him crack."

Indeed Atem had though of torture, even rape to force his slave to speak. But one look into those shimmering eyes and Atem found he just couldn't do it. So here he was, begging his priest to help him.

Aknadin thought for a moment. 'This could work better then what I had originally planned.' Thinking quickly over what Yugi's people were capable of a sudden idea struck him. "Well, despot the fact he's a…creature. He's still a child. Put a 'small' child someplace too high where they can't get down and they'll do almost anything to be rescued."

Pondering Atem concluded, "So what you're saying is to trap him someplace high leveled. That's it?" the Pharaoh sounded a bit insulted. It was a childish stunt.

'Not good…' "Please my Pharaoh think this throw a moment. The boy has shone quite clearly he can hold his own if needed. Yet despite his own power he has yet to strike back at you." Atem craned a brow.

"Go on."

Aknadin mentally smirked. 'This could work.' "Confine the boy to a high place. A balcony or even the roof where he can not escape. Scare him a bit and he'll squealing out everything before you know it."

Aknadin watched Atem think this over. He prayed it would work. He was the only one whom know what Yugi was and what he could really do. So if this worked then teen get not only get free, but a huge head start home.

Finally Atem turned his gaze to his elder priest. "Very well Aknadin. I shall give it a try. But if he fails to speak know I will be having a talk with you again on more, extreme measures."

The one-eyed man bowed. "Of course Your Highness." Aknadin rose his head as he watched Atem walk off. 'However you won't be able to for Yugi will be long gone' he mused with glee as he turned to find some breakfast before attending the thrown room for the morning.

XxX

PRECENT

XxX

The teen glanced around. He was in the clear open with no possible was out other then through Atem. At least, no other 'human' way out. Turning back to the Pharaoh. 'I see you found a better plan at the last moment. Thank you Aknadin.' Yugi grinned. "My apologies Pharaoh, by I still stand by my word."

Atem's red eyes flared. "How dare you!" I'll have you're-"

"Unfortunately for you I no long wish to remain here." Yugi cut him off.

Atem went to strike him when Yugi turned and hissed at him causing the Egyptian ruler to stumble back. The cat-boy hopped onto the balcony railings, purring as he gazed down the long drop.

A sudden fred loomed over Atem as he watched this. Then, without realizing it to lunged for Yugi, trying to grab him. A startling cry rang out from the Pharaoh as Yugi leapt off the railing, dissenting fast to the earth below.

Atem tried to reach for him, but Yugi's coat was to sleek and he slipped between him fingers.

As the teen free fell his instincts kicked in. Twirling in the air he rolled into a little ball. ears flattening and tail curling into him. About thirty feet from impact Yugi throw out him arms and legs, straightening them down to the ground. His tail flying behind him, steering him at a right angle. At the last possible moment Yugi's muscles slacked as he hit the ground. His limbs bent with the impact, pushing him into a roll. Quickly the boy rose to his feet turning too see Aknadin the in the shadows of the palace entrance smiling at him. Yugi in turn smiled back before turning his gaze up to the still flabbergasted Atem.

A smile string pulled at his heart but Yugi pushed it aside before turning a fleeing out of the palace ground into the city and out into the vast desert, to home, to freedom.

Atem watched Yugi run. Run swift, run fast, run… Running away. His eyes suddenly snapped tearing him away from the fleeing boy.

"Guards!" he bellowed as five guards approached there pharaoh. "Find Seto, Aknadin, Isis and Mahado and told them to ready there horses. We're going after my runaway slave."

The guards bowed and rushed off to do as told. A few moments later chosen four were on there steads, rushing out with there Pharaoh after the runaway slave.

Aknadin could only pray Yugi reached his land before Atem got to him first.

What the five human's didn't realize was that only two would ever be returning 'home'