Seto turned back to see who had call out to the large man. The crowd parted, revealing Cahara who was removing the gold skirt from underneath the beaded belt. She also took off her golden shoes, and the jewelry. Cahara walked up to Seto and handed him everything she had just removed.
"Cahara, don't do this," pleaded Seto, taking the skirt, shoes, and jewelry.
"My job is to protect Lady Teana. Remember?" replied Cahara lightly, unsheathing the sais that were strapped to her thighs. Then she walked forward and got into a fighting stance, challenging Gahiji.
"I should have guessed that you would confront me, Shah Catahl," remarked Gahiji, dropping Teana on the steps. He walked down the stairs, drew his scimitar, took a fight stance, and asked, "And I look forward to it. The Thief King isn't here to protect you now. I'll skin you too."
"Gahiji the Skinner, you think I needed that man to protect me. More like he needed me to protect him," replied Cahara mockingly, circling the Gahiji.
"Doesn't matter I'm still going to add your pretty hide to my wardrobe collection," said Bakura, lunging at the Shah Catahl.
Gahiji brought down his sword on Cahara, but Cahara blocked the attack with her sais. She slashed her blades at Gahiji and advanced towards him. He blocked her rapid attacks with his sword and cut at her legs. Cahara jumped and back flipped in the air, causing the blade to miss her. She aerialed towards Gahiji and swiped the sais at the Skinner near abdomen. The battle went on like this for a while. The clashing of steel echoed through the courtyard. The two fighters soon began to tire. Gahiji slashed his scimitar down, aiming for the Shah Catahl's shoulder, but Cahara crossed her sais and defended herself from the blow. The Skinner pushed down, trying to breech Cahara's defense, but Cahara pushed against him. Gahiji was much stronger than Cahara, but the assassin was holding her own pretty well.
"You should give up, Catahl," advised Gahiji in a somewhat mocking tone, still pushing down on his blade.
"So should you," retorted Cahara, glaring at Gahiji. Suddenly she pushed the Skinner off of her and slashed his throat in one fluid movement. Bright red blood sprayed from his throat and onto Cahara's chest and face. Then Gahiji fell to the ground choking on his own blood. His body shook in spasms as blood gushed from his throat. With darkness in her eyes, Cahara took Gahiji sword and plunge the blade into his stomach. She twisted the blade to make sure Gahiji was truly dead. Cahara turned around to face the dumbfounded audience. It the midst of the silence, Teana ran into Atem's arms.
Finally finding his voice, the Pharaoh commanded, "Arrest her!"
Immediately, the guardians rushed forward to grab the Shah Catahl, but before they could touch her, Seto jumped in front of her and stopped the other priests.
"Wait! I hired her to protect Lady Teana!" declared the High Priest, blocking Cahara from the other priests. The Pharaoh looked at Seto stunned by his words.
"You did what?" asked Atem dumbfounded. Then an onslaught of admonishments came from the other guardians.
"She could have killed the Pharaoh!" exclaimed Mahad, glaring at Cahara.
"I was locked in the bathroom the whole week," retorted the assassin with a smirk.
"She could have killed Lady Teana," stated Isis, thinking of the Pharaoh's queen-to-be.
"I was hired to protect her," contradicted Cahara smugly.
"Ah yes, what were you promised? A king's ransom?" asked a voice from behind. Everyone turned to see Aknadin walking towards them. The older priest looked grave and distinguished as he strode down the stairs. Cahara watched the priest, thinking that is was about time that he showed up. Unfortunately, Cahara knew that he could probably come up with a reason why Cahara should be imprisoned that she wouldn't be able to defend herself against. Aknadin walked over to the group, looked at Gahiji's corpse, and then looked at Cahara.
"Did you kill him?" asked Aknadin to Cahara, motioning to the corpse.
"For free," replied Cahara with a proud smile. 'Sort of.' She added in her mind.
"And your alliance with the Thief King?" question he priest, suspiciously.
"He paid me. Well he was supposed to pay me. So, there is no alliance," stated the Shah Catahl in a matter-of-factly tone.
Then Aknadin turned to the Pharaoh, and said, "I see no reason why the Shah Catahl can't be trusted… for now." He looked back at Seto and asked, "How did you get her to agree to protect Lady Teana?"
"Total amnesty," replied Seto, looking fiercely into the older priest's eyes.
"I salute you on your bargaining skills, Shah Catahl," remarked Aknadin to Cahara, in a congratulatory tone.
Cahara gestured to Seto, and replied, "He offered, and I took it."
"Hmm… yes," whispered Aknadin. He turned back to the Pharoah, and suggested, "My Pharaoh, I believe that the feast should be come to an end." The elderly priest eyed Cahara, and she met his gaze with a glare. He smile genially and nodded as if he was bowing. The other sacred guardians were too busy to notice the gesture.
Atem took control of the crowd and dismissed his guests. Slaves came to take away the corpses. As they dragged Gahiji's body out of the courtyard, Cahara mentioned something about just kicking his body into a ditch. It made Lady Teana laugh which resulted in the other laughing. The priests were dismissed, and the Pharaoh personally escorted Teana back to her room, allowing Cahara to walk back with Seto to his room.
"Well that was eventful," said the High Priest, upon entering his room. He started to take of his chest plate and the rest of his adornment.
"No kidding," replied Cahara, taking her hair out of the bun. She saw Seto had placed the rest of her dress and jewelry on a chair in the corner. She looked back on the night's events and still couldn't help but wonder why he had defended her. The Shah Catahl ambled to the balcony entrance and leaned against the frame. She watched the High Priest, intrigued. Seto noticed that Cahara was staring at him, and he returned her gaze with smirk. They stared at each other for a few moments.
Then, Seto asked, "What are you staring at?"
"Nothing," replied Cahara. "I'm simply trying to figure why you risked your reputation to defend me. That's all." Slowly, Cahara walked to the bathroom.
Seto watched her leave. He couldn't help but be enchanted for a moment. The High Priest shook it off and used the time to get change. After taking off his gold clothing, Seto changed into a white kilt. It felt good to get out of the elaborate garments. Then the sound of someone clearing their throat broke the silence of the room. The High Priest looked to the bathroom entrance and saw Cahara standing in the doorway, dressed in a simple white sheath dress. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders and down her back. Sitting on his bed, Seto stared at the Shah Catahl. Cahara smirked and sauntered over to the priest.
"Like what you see, High Priest?" asked Cahara seductively, straddling the high priest as she sat on his lap.
"I think you already know the answer to that, Catahl," replied Seto, taking Cahara's hands in his.
"Yes, I do," remarked Cahara breathlessly, leaning forward. "So… are you finally admitting that you're attracted to me?"
"I thought I didn't have to," replied the High Priest.
With in moments, their lips met, and they were engulfed with an earning passion. Seto let go of Cahara's hands and wrapped his arms around her slander waist. Deepening the kiss, Cahara grasped Seto's hair, entwining her fingers in it. Without breaking the kiss, he flipped Cahara onto her back with his body over her's. Breaking the kiss, Seto planted soft, light kisses along Cahara's neck and collarbone. Cahara was in somewhat of a daze, but she quickly got over it.
"We shouldn't do this," stated Cahara softly, sitting upright.
"Why not?" asked Seto curiously, clearly disagreeing with her. Cahara playfully shoved Seto off of her and got up from the bed.
"Because we'll regret it in the end," replied Cahara in a logical tone. "I think it would be better if I roomed with Teana tonight." She said about to walk away from Seto. Before she could move, the High Priest took her hand, stopping her from walking away. Cahara looked back at Seto.
"Stay here," stated Seto. "We don't want anyone thinking you're sneaking into Teana's room to kill her." He added with a haughty smile. Cahara rolled her eyes and reluctantly agreed to stay. He teasingly pulled her back to the bed, and they crawled under the covers together. Cahara laid facing away from Seto, but the High Priest didn't mind. He merely wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her body to his chest. Cahara smirked and chuckled softly, and they fell asleep together.
The next morning, the Pharaoh, Lady Teana, and five of the guardians were eating breakfast in the throne room. Outside the room, they could here the faint sound of a woman's laugh. In that moment, Seto and Cahara walked into the throne room with slight smile on their faces. Before Cahara could get across the threshold, Lady Teana ran over to her and embraced her. The assassin was surprised by the show of affection. Cahara eyed Seto who only shrugged.
"Thank you so much for saving my life, Cahara," said Teana thankfully. "I'm sorry I was able to express my gratitude last night."
"Uh… You're welcome," replied the Shah Catahl, at a lost for words. No one ever really thanked her for killing someone before. However Teana wasn't finished.
"I suppose I should thank you as well, High Priest, for hiring such a competent bodyguard," continued Teana graciously.
"I am ever at your service, Lady Teana," stated Seto, bowing slightly. With that, Lady Teana pulled Cahara away from Seto, and forced the assassin to sit next to her. The guardians as well at the Pharaoh were slightly surprised by Lady Teana's easiness around the Shah Catahl. Seto sat beside Cahara, listening to the ladies' conversation. Soon the Pharaoh joined in the conversation, and the other guardians began to relax. By the end of the breakfast, Atem, Teana, Cahara, and the sacred guardians were joking around like nothing had happened.
Suddenly, the chamberlain burst into the throne room in a panic. The Pharaoh stared at the man, wondering what could have caused his state. Halting before Atem, the chamberlain bowed, breathing heavily. Catching his breath, the chamberlain stated, "Sire, the Thief Bakura has looted a small temple in Karnak."
"What!" exclaimed Atem, standing up in rage.
"Wow… I never would have guessed he would have struck so close to the capital," remarked Cahara cooly, fiddling with her knife.
"Neither did we," added Seto darkly, glaring at the thought. The High Priest rose from his seat, and asked, "Pharaoh, allow me to go out and capture Bakura."
The Pharaoh turned to the High Priest and nodded. Seto bowed to Atem and strode towards the door. When he had reached the entrance, Cahara dropped down from the door frame. Seto opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He looked behind him to the spot where the assassin was sitting and then looked back at her. Finally finding his voice, the High Priest inquired, "How did you-"
The assassin pointed to the ceiling, and asked, "Do you even know where Bakura's hideout is?"
"No, but-" answered Seto quickly.
"Then I'm coming with you," stated Cahara resolutely.
Seto could see that it was pointless to argue with Cahara, and ultimately he could use her knowledge to capture Bakura. Giving in, he raised his hands and said, "Fine."
Back in the High Priest's room, Seto was preparing for the journey to the Thief King's den. Cahara had suggested that he should disguise himself as a Hittite, and that's exactly what he did. Instead of his normal priestly robes, Seto wore a plain beige tunic with a beige long sleeved robe. On his feet, he wore short leather boots. As he was hiding his Millennium Rod inside his robe, the Shah Catahl entered the room carrying a basket full of different colored bottles. Seto suspiciously eyed the bottles and the devious smile that danced on Cahara's lips.
"What are you planning, Catahl?" inquired the High Priest watching the assassin like a hawk as she approached him.
"Nothing…" She replied slowly.
Rapidly the Shah Catahl jumped Seto and managed to drag him into his bathroom. After a lot of pushing and shoving, Cahara finally was able to get the High Priest to sit still. Of course it helped that she had been quick enough to tie him to a chair. With the High Priest unable to move, Cahara started pouring the liquid contained in the bottles into Seto's chestnut brown hair.
"Cahara, what are you doing?" yelled Seto, trying to break free of his bonds.
"Dying your hair blonde. Don't worry it washes out," replied the Shah Catahl coolly, massaging the dye into his hair.
"Why couldn't I have just worn a wig?" asked Seto a little more calmly.
"Because a wig could fall off and then all the thieves would recognize you," stated Cahara convincingly.
After that, the High Priest agreed with her logic and stopped struggling. Cahara smiled contently and continued to dye Seto's hair. She hummed a sweet, slow melody as she worked. After she was done, Cahara untie Seto and told him not to touch his hair. Once he had complied, she shoved out of the bathroom so she could get changed.
While he was waiting, Seto stood out on his balcony, leaning on the railing. A cool breeze blew through the balcony, rustling Seto's robe. The wind rushed through his hair, drying the ends a bit. The High Priest resisted the urge to run his fingers through his hair. Thankfully, the sun was beating down heavily on Egypt, evaporating the liquid from his hair. Seto sighed and closed his eyes, waiting for Cahara. Unexpectedly, Seto felt feminine hands over his eyes.
"You better not doze off in the thieves' den, Seto," said a voice, which he recognized as Cahara's.
Seto removed her hands from his eyes and held them firmly in his. He looked behind him and saw that she was crouching on the rail dressed in the dancer's outfit that she had worn to his party. Then he remarked, "I'll keep that in mind, Cahara… Now is my hair dry enough yet?"
Cahara propelled herself over the High Priest. He swiftly let go of her hands as she landed gracefully in front of him. Gently, Cahara ran her fingers through Seto's now golden blonde hair, messing it up a bit.
"You're good to go… Just throw these on," replied Cahara playfully, tossing him a pair of white linen pants.
Seto looked at the pant and then looked at Cahara who was cartwheeling into his room. He followed her, and asked, "Why should I wear shalwar? They're a Persian garment. And, why are you wearing that dancer's outfit?"
The assassin stopped her acrobatics, and answered, "Trust me. You're going to want pants in the desert, and I highly doubt under normal prisoner circumstances that you would let me change."
Seto chuckled, knowing she was right about the second part. Cahara told him to hurry and then ran out of the room. After taking off his shoes, Seto put on the shalwar. 'I look more like a Persian now than a Hittite,' thought Seto, walking over to a mirror. 'Although I've never met a Persian with blonde hair.' He put on the boots again, tied his scimitar to his belt, and exited his room.
Afterwards, Seto found the Shah Catahl out in the front courtyard with two horses with a few provisions strapped to their backs. He wondered why they were packing so few supplies. Was Bakura's hideout that close? Then he heard the grand doors opening behind him and turned to see the Pharaoh, Teana, and the other sacred guardians joining them in the courtyard. Seto bowed to the Pharaoh. Atem stopped in his track as soon as he saw the High Priest. However Lady Teana was the first to speak.
"Master Seto, I never expected you to take your disguise so seriously." She remarked lightly.
"My dear, Master Seto always takes his missions seriously," said Atem in Seto's defense.
"And he looks really cute as a blonde!" yelled Cahara mockingly. She mounted her horse as the courtyard erupted into laughter. Seto covered his eyes in embarrassment and then glared irately at the assassin. Unfortunately for the High Priest, the laughter had not ceased.
"All right! Enough!" exclaimed Seto annoyed.
Immediately the laughter stopped. Seto mounted his horse in a huff. The horses pawed at the ground, ready to go. Their riders held their reins fast, not wanting the equines to run off on them. Then the Pharaoh bade them to go and bring back the Thief King. Seto nodded and then spurred his horse and galloped through the palace gate. Cahara waved their onlookers goodbye and followed behind Seto. As they raced through the streets, the Shah Catahl soon caught up with the High Priest, riding side by side with him. The townspeople kept out of their way for the most part, and soon they were at the city gates. Much to the High Priest's pleasure, the gates were already open for them. As soon as the duo was out of the city, Cahara raced in front of Seto.
"Try and keep up," joked the assassin, looking back at the High Priest.
